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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb clouer

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The English translation of the French verb clouer is “to nail.” The infinitive form is pronounced “kloo-ay.”

The word clouer comes from the Old French word “clou,” meaning “nail.” It is derived from the Latin word “clavus,” which also means “nail.” Clouer is most often used in everyday French in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical or unreal action that would have taken place in the past.

Examples of clouer in the Conditionnel Passé tense:

  1. Si j’avais eu les clous, j’aurais cloué le tableau au mur. (If I had had the nails, I would have nailed the painting to the wall.)

  2. Nous aurions cloué les planches ensemble si nous avions eu plus de temps. (We would have nailed the planks together if we had had more time.)

  3. Il aurait cloué la fenêtre si elle était restée ouverte. (He would have nailed the window shut if it had remained open.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais cloué Si j’avais su, je t’aurais cloué. I would have nailed you.
tu aurais cloué Tu aurais cloué la porte. You would have nailed the door.
il aurait cloué Il aurait cloué le tableau. He would have nailed the painting.
elle aurait cloué Elle aurait cloué ses chaussures. She would have nailed her shoes.
on aurait cloué On aurait cloué le plancher. One would have nailed the floor.
nous aurions cloué Nous aurions cloué les planches. We would have nailed the boards.
vous auriez cloué Vous auriez cloué les photos. You would have nailed the photos.
ils auraient cloué Ils auraient cloué le cadre. They would have nailed the frame.
elles auraient cloué Elles auraient cloué le tableau. They (female) would have nailed the painting.

Other Conjugations for Clouer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Clouer – 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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