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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb claper

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The English translation of the French verb claper is “to slap” or “to clap.” The infinitive form, claper, is pronounced as “klah-pay.”

The word claper comes from the Old French word “clapier,” meaning “heap” or “pile.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is used to express a hypothetical action in the past.

Examples of claper in the Conditionnel Passé tense are:

  1. Si j’avais eu les mains libres, j’aurais clappé des applaudissements. (If I had had my hands free, I would have clapped my hands.)
  2. Ils auraient dû claper des mains pour montrer leur soutien. (They should have clapped their hands to show their support.)
  3. J’aurais clappé des pieds de joie si j’avais gagné le concours. (I would have jumped for joy if I had won the competition.)

English translations:

  1. If I had had my hands free, I would have clapped my hands.
  2. They should have clapped their hands to show their support.
  3. I would have jumped for joy if I had won the competition.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais clappé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais clappé. I would have clapped for you.
tu aurais clappé Tu aurais clappé plus fort. You would have clapped louder.
il aurait clappé Il aurait clappé des mains. He would have clapped his hands.
elle aurait clappé Elle aurait clappé pour son équipe. She would have clapped for her team.
on aurait clappé On aurait clappé toute la nuit. One would have clapped all night.
nous aurions clappé Nous aurions clappé en rythme. We would have clapped in rhythm.
vous auriez clappé Vous auriez clappé avec enthousiasme. You would have clapped enthusiastically.
ils auraient clappé Ils auraient clappé pour leur idole. They would have clapped for their idol.
elles auraient clappé Elles auraient clappé pour leur équipe. They (female) would have clapped for their team.

Other Conjugations for Claper.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb claper
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Claper – 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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