Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chauler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chauler

Get the Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) tense conjugation of chauler. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb chauler is “to lime” or “to whitewash.” It is pronounced “sho-leh” in its infinitive form.

Chauler comes from the Old French word “chaule,” meaning “lime,” which can be traced back to the Latin word “calx,” meaning “limestone.” In everyday French, chauler is most often used to refer to the act of applying a white, powdery substance (such as lime or chalk) to a surface, usually walls or floors, for the purpose of creating a lighter, brighter appearance.

In the Conditionnel Passé (past conditional) tense, chauler is used to express a hypothetical action that would have taken place in the past under certain conditions. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais su, j’aurais chaulé les murs de ma maison. (If I had known, I would have whitewashed the walls of my house.)
  2. Elle aurait chaulé le plancher, mais elle n’avait pas assez de temps. (She would have lime-washed the floor, but she didn’t have enough time.)
  3. Nous aurions chaulé notre cabane dans la forêt si nous avions eu de la chaux. (We would have lime-washed our cabin in the forest if we had had some lime.)

Table of the Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of chauler

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais chaulé Si j’avais eu des bottes, j’aurais chaulé les murs. If I had boots, I would have whitewashed the walls.
tu aurais chaulé Tu aurais chaulé toute la maison. You would have whitewashed the whole house.
il aurait chaulé Il aurait chaulé le garage. He would have whitewashed the garage.
elle aurait chaulé Elle aurait chaulé les meubles. She would have whitewashed the furniture.
on aurait chaulé On aurait chaulé les clôtures. One would have whitewashed the fences.
nous aurions chaulé Nous aurions chaulé les plafonds. We would have whitewashed the ceilings.
vous auriez chaulé Vous auriez chaulé les façades. You would have whitewashed the facades.
ils auraient chaulé Ils auraient chaulé les maisons. They would have whitewashed the houses.
elles auraient chaulé Elles auraient chaulé les portes. They (female) would have whitewashed the doors.

Other Conjugations for Chauler.

    

    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb chauler
     

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chauler
     

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chauler
     

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chauler
     

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chauler
     

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chauler
     

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chauler
     

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chauler

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chauler

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chauler

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chauler
     

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chauler

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chauler
     

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chauler
     

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chauler  (this article)

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chauler

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chauler


    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required! 

  

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the chauler Conditionnel Passé tense conjugation!

Chauler – About the French Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense

The French “Conditionnel Passé” is a compound tense used to express hypothetical or unreal actions in the past. It is formed by combining the conditional of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” and the past participle of the main verb.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

Start with the conditional of the auxiliary verb: For most verbs, use “aurais” (for “avoir”) or “serais” (for “être”) as the conditional form. 

With “avoir”: j’aurais, tu aurais, il/elle/on aurait, nous aurions, vous auriez, ils/elles auraient. 
With “être”: je serais, tu serais, il/elle/on serait, nous serions, vous seriez, ils/elles seraient. 

Add the past participle of the main verb to this conditional form. 
For example, if you want to say “I would have done,” you would use “j’aurais fait.” If you want to say “She would have gone,” you would use “elle serait allée.”

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Expressing Unreal Past Scenarios

The Conditionnel Passé is often used to talk about actions that did not happen in the past, but you are speculating about what would have occurred if they had. It’s a way to discuss hypothetical situations in the past. 

Si j’avais su, je t’aurais aidé. (If I had known, I would have helped you.)
Il serait venu s’il avait eu le temps. (He would have come if he had had the time.) 

Polite Requests or Suggestions

It can be used to make polite requests or suggestions in the past. 

Pourriez-vous m’aider, s’il vous plaît ? (Could you have helped me, please?) 

Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty

It can convey doubt or uncertainty regarding past events.

Il aurait peut-être oublié notre rendez-vous. (He might have forgotten our appointment.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Conditional Present

You can use the Conditionnel Passé in combination with the conditional present to describe past actions that were hypothetical at the time they were spoken about. J’aurais aimé que tu m’appelles hier. (I would have liked you to call me yesterday.) 

Indicative Past Tenses

You might use the Conditionnel Passé alongside indicative past tenses like the passé composé to contrast hypothetical and real past events. Il est venu hier, mais s’il avait pu, il serait venu la semaine dernière. (He came yesterday, but if he could have, he would have come last week.) 

Conditional Future

In some cases, you can use the Conditionnel Passé in combination with the conditional future to discuss unreal past events that could have consequences in the future. Si j’avais réussi mon examen, j’aurais un meilleur travail. (If I had passed my exam, I would have a better job.)

Summary

In summary, the Conditionnel Passé is used to express hypothetical or unreal actions in the past. It is often used in conjunction with other tenses to convey various nuances in French, allowing speakers to discuss imaginary past scenarios, make polite requests, or express doubt about past events.

Want More?

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb chauler. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply