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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cheminer

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The English translation of the French verb cheminer is “to walk” or “to journey.” The infinitive form, cheminer, is pronounced as “sheh-mee-nay.”

The origin of the word cheminer can be traced back to the Latin word “caminus,” which means “road.” It was later adopted into Old French as “chemin,” meaning “way” or “path.” The verb form, cheminer, was derived from this noun and has been used in the French language since the 12th century.

In everyday French, the verb cheminer is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical action or event that would have taken place in the past if certain conditions had been met. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Conditionnel Présent tense, followed by the past participle of cheminer.

Here are three simple examples of cheminer in the Conditionnel Passé tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais suivi ce chemin, j’aurais trouvé la rivière. (If I had taken this path, I would have found the river.)
  2. Nous serions arrivés plus vite si nous avions cheminé sans nous arrêter. (We would have arrived faster if we had walked without stopping.)
  3. Elle aurait fini la randonnée si elle n’avait pas eu de ampoules aux pieds. (She would have finished the hike if she hadn’t gotten blisters on her feet.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais cheminé Si j’avais continué, j’aurais cheminé. I would have traveled.
tu aurais cheminé Tu aurais cheminé avec moi. You would have journeyed with me.
il aurait cheminé Il aurait cheminé au bord de la mer. He would have walked by the sea.
elle aurait cheminé Elle aurait cheminé dans la nature. She would have hiked in nature.
on aurait cheminé On aurait cheminé ensemble. One would have traveled together.
nous aurions cheminé Nous aurions cheminé vers le sommet. We would have hiked to the summit.
vous auriez cheminé Vous auriez cheminé en pleine ville. You would have walked in the city.
ils auraient cheminé Ils auraient cheminé dans les montagnes. They would have trekked in the mountains.
elles auraient cheminé Elles auraient cheminé dans la forêt. They (female) would have walked in the forest.

Other Conjugations for Cheminer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cheminer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Cheminer – 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.

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