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

Introduction to the verb classer

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The English translation of the French verb classer is “to classify” or “to sort.”

The infinitive form of classer is pronounced “kla-say.”

The word classer comes from the Latin word “classis,” meaning “class” or “category.” It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the action of organizing or categorizing things, ideas, or information.

In the Conditionnel Passé tense, classer is used to talk about hypothetical or imagined actions that would have taken place in the past if certain conditions had been met. This tense is formed by using the conditional form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Here are three simple examples of how classer is used in the Conditionnel Passé tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais classé ces documents selon leur date. (If I had had more time, I would have classified these documents by date.)
  2. Tu aurais dû classer tes vêtements avant de partir en voyage. (You should have sorted your clothes before going on your trip.)
  3. Elle se serait classée première si elle avait participé à la compétition. (She would have placed first if she had participated in the competition.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais classé Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais classé mes papiers. If I had more time, I would have filed my papers.
tu aurais classé Tu aurais classé les livres par ordre alphabétique. You would have sorted the books alphabetically.
il aurait classé Il aurait classé ses vêtements dans le placard. He would have organized his clothes in the closet.
elle aurait classé Elle aurait classé ses photos par date. She would have sorted her photos by date.
on aurait classé On aurait classé les documents par importance. One would have sorted the documents by importance.
nous aurions classé Nous aurions classé nos affaires en ordre. We would have put our things in order.
vous auriez classé Vous auriez classé les dossiers par catégorie. You would have classified the files by category.
ils auraient classé Ils auraient classé les objets par couleur. They would have organized the objects by color.
elles auraient classé Elles auraient classé les feuilles par taille. They (female) would have sorted the papers by size.

Other Conjugations for Classer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb classer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Classer – 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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