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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chuinter

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The English translation of the French verb chuinter is “to whistle” or “to hiss.” In the infinitive form, it is pronounced as “shwehn-tehr.”

The word “chuinter” comes from the Latin word “sibilare,” meaning “to hiss.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or unreal action in the past. It is formed by conjugating the conditional tense of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être,” followed by the past participle of “chuinter.”

Three simple examples of chuinter in the Conditionnel Passé tense are:

  1. Si j’avais su qu’il était allergique, je n’aurais pas chuinter si fort près de lui. (If I had known he was allergic, I wouldn’t have whistled so loudly near him.)

  2. Tu aurais dû te taire au lieu de chuinter sans arrêt pendant le spectacle. (You should have stayed quiet instead of constantly hissing during the show.)

  3. Ils auraient été plus impressionnés si tu n’avais pas chuinter pendant toute la présentation. (They would have been more impressed if you hadn’t been hissing throughout the entire presentation.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais chuinté Si j’avais su, je t’aurais chuinté. I would have whispered to you.
tu aurais chuinté Tu aurais chuinté plus tôt. You would have whispered earlier.
il aurait chuinté Il aurait chuinté pendant le film. He would have whispered during the movie.
elle aurait chuinté Elle aurait chuinté à la réunion. She would have whispered during the meeting.
on aurait chuinté On aurait chuinté pour ne pas être entendu. One would have whispered to avoid being heard.
nous aurions chuinté Nous aurions chuinté en classe. We would have whispered in class.
vous auriez chuinté Vous auriez chuinté avec discrétion. You would have whispered discreetly.
ils auraient chuinté Ils auraient chuinté pendant le concert. They would have whispered during the concert.
elles auraient chuinté Elles auraient chuinté à voix basse. They (female) would have whispered in a low voice.

Other Conjugations for Chuinter.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chuinter
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Chuinter – 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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