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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb comparer

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The English translation of the French verb comparer is “to compare.” It is pronounced as “kohm-pah-ray.”

The language origin of comparer can be traced back to the Latin word “comparare,” which means “to make equal.” In everyday French, it is most often used to express the act of comparing two or more things or ideas. It is commonly used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is the conditional perfect tense in English.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Si j’avais comparé les prix avant d’acheter, j’aurais économisé de l’argent. (If I had compared prices before buying, I would have saved money.)
  2. Elle aurait mieux compris si tu lui avais comparé les deux options. (She would have understood better if you had compared the two options for her.)
  3. Nous aurions pu mieux choisir si nous avions comparé les caractéristiques des différents modèles. (We could have made a better choice if we had compared the features of the different models.)

In these examples, comparer is used to express a hypothetical action in the past that could have had a different outcome if the comparison had been made. In English, the verb “to have” is used with the past participle of the main verb to form the conditional perfect tense.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais comparé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais comparé. I would have compared you.
tu aurais comparé Tu aurais comparé plus tôt. You would have compared earlier.
il aurait comparé Il aurait comparé les deux options. He would have compared the two options.
elle aurait comparé Elle aurait comparé les produits. She would have compared the products.
on aurait comparé On aurait comparé les offres. One would have compared the offers.
nous aurions comparé Nous aurions comparé les prix. We would have compared the prices.
vous auriez comparé Vous auriez comparé avec eux. You would have compared with them.
ils auraient comparé Ils auraient comparé les résultats. They would have compared the results.
elles auraient comparé Elles auraient comparé les produits. They (female) would have compared the products.

Other Conjugations for Comparer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb comparer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Comparer – 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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