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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cloîtrer

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The English translation of the French verb cloîtrer is “to confine” or “to cloister”. It is pronounced “klow-ee-tray”.

The word cloîtrer comes from the Old French word cloistre, meaning “monastery” or “cloister”. It is derived from the Latin word claustrum, meaning “enclosed place”.

In everyday French, cloîtrer is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense to express actions that would have been confined or cloistered in the past. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb avoir in the Conditionnel Présent tense, followed by the past participle of cloîtrer (cloîtré).

Examples:

  1. Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais cloîtré mon chat dans sa cage. (If I had had more time, I would have confined my cat in its cage.)
  2. Nous aurions cloîtré les enfants dans leur chambre s’ils n’avaient pas été sages. (We would have cloistered the children in their room if they hadn’t behaved.)
  3. Tu aurais dû cloîtrer tes problèmes personnels et te concentrer sur ton travail. (You should have confined your personal problems and focused on your work.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais cloîtré Si j’avais su, je t’aurais cloîtré. I would have shut you in.
tu aurais cloîtré Tu aurais cloîtré plus tôt. You would have cloistered earlier.
il aurait cloîtré Il aurait cloîtré les animaux. He would have put the animals in the cloister.
elle aurait cloîtré Elle aurait cloîtré les moines. She would have cloistered the monks.
on aurait cloîtré On aurait cloîtré les disciples. One would have cloistered the disciples.
nous aurions cloîtré Nous aurions cloîtré en silence. We would have cloistered in silence.
vous auriez cloîtré Vous auriez cloîtré avec eux. You would have cloistered with them.
ils auraient cloîtré Ils auraient cloîtré les pécheurs. They would have cloistered the sinners.
elles auraient cloîtré Elles auraient cloîtré en secret. They (female) would have cloistered in secret.

Other Conjugations for Cloîtrer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cloîtrer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Cloîtrer – 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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