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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb compasser

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The English translation of the French verb compasser is “to compass” or “to measure with a compass.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “kɔ̃.pa.se.”

The word compasser comes from the Latin word “compassare,” which means to measure or compare. It entered the French language in the 12th century and was originally used to refer to the act of making measurements with a compass. Over time, its meaning expanded to include the idea of planning or calculating a course of action.

In everyday French, compasser is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé (conditional perfect) tense, which expresses a hypothetical or possible action in the past. 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 examples of compasser used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais suivi ton conseil, j’aurais mieux compassé ma route. (If I had followed your advice, I would have planned my route better.)

  2. Il aurait fallu que je compassasse plus attentivement avant de prendre ma décision. (I should have measured more carefully before making my decision.)

  3. Nous serions arrivés à l’heure si nous avions compassé notre temps de voyage. (We would have arrived on time if we had planned our travel time.)

In conclusion, compasser is a versatile verb that can be used to express the act of measuring, planning, or calculating. In everyday French, it is most commonly used in the Conditionnel Passé tense to talk about hypothetical or possible actions in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais compassé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais compassé. I would have compassed if I had known.
tu aurais compassé Tu aurais compassé plus tôt. You would have compassed earlier.
il aurait compassé Il aurait compassé sa route. He would have measured his route.
elle aurait compassé Elle aurait compassé la distance. She would have measured the distance.
on aurait compassé On aurait compassé le terrain. One would have measured the terrain.
nous aurions compassé Nous aurions compassé l’espace aérien. We would have measured the airspace.
vous auriez compassé Vous auriez compassé en équipe. You would have measured as a team.
ils auraient compassé Ils auraient compassé le chantier. They would have measured the construction site.
elles auraient compassé Elles auraient compassé l’itinéraire. They (female) would have measured the itinerary.

Other Conjugations for Compasser.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Compasser – 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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