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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb commuer

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The English translation of the French verb commuer is “to commute.” It is pronounced “koh-moo-ay.”

The language origin of commuer comes from the Latin word “commutare,” which means “to change.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is the conditional past tense. This tense is used to express a hypothetical action or event that would have taken place in the past, if a certain condition had been met.

Here are three simple examples of how commuer is used in the Conditionnel Passé tense:

  1. Si j’avais plus d’argent, j’aurais commué en ville tous les jours. (If I had more money, I would have commuted to the city every day.)
  2. Nous aurions commué en train si les routes avaient été bloquées. (We would have commuted by train if the roads had been blocked.)
  3. Vous auriez commué vos études si vous n’aviez pas déménagé. (You would have commuted your studies if you had not moved.)

In all of these examples, the conditional past tense is used to express a hypothetical situation in the past. The verb commuer is used to indicate the action of commuting, or traveling regularly between two places. The use of the Conditionnel Passé tense adds a sense of regret or longing for a different outcome. In English, the conditional past tense is often translated as “would have + past participle.”

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais commué Si j’avais su, je l’aurais commué. I would have commuted it.
tu aurais commué Tu aurais commué plus tôt. You would have commuted earlier.
il aurait commué Il aurait commué sa peine de prison. He would have commuted his prison sentence.
elle aurait commué Elle aurait commué sa peine de mort. She would have commuted her death sentence.
on aurait commué On aurait commué la sentence. One would have commuted the sentence.
nous aurions commué Nous aurions commué ensemble. We would have commuted together.
vous auriez commué Vous auriez commué avec eux. You would have commuted with them.
ils auraient commué Ils auraient commué leur peine. They would have commuted their sentence.
elles auraient commué Elles auraient commué leur verdict. They (female) would have commuted their verdict.

Other Conjugations for Commuer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commuer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Commuer – 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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