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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb compenser

Get the Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) tense conjugation of compenser. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb compenser is “to compensate” or “to make up for.” It is pronounced as “kohn-sahn-pey-zey.”

The language origin of compenser can be traced back to the Latin word “compensare,” meaning “to balance” or “to make good,” which then evolved into the Old French word “compenser.” It is commonly used in everyday French in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is the conditional perfect tense, to express actions that would have been completed in the past if certain conditions had been met.

Here are three simple examples of compenser in the Conditionnel Passé tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais étudié plus, j’aurais compensé mes mauvaises notes. (If I had studied more, I would have made up for my bad grades.)
  2. Elle aurait compensé son absence en nous envoyant des fleurs. (She would have compensated for her absence by sending us flowers.)
  3. Nous aurions compensé notre retard en travaillant plus vite. (We would have compensated for our delay by working faster.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais compensé Si j’avais gagné, j’aurais compensé mes pertes. If I had won, I would have compensated for my losses.
tu aurais compensé Tu aurais compensé tes erreurs. You would have compensated for your mistakes.
il aurait compensé Il aurait compensé son manque de confiance. He would have compensated for his lack of confidence.
elle aurait compensé Elle aurait compensé ses dépenses. She would have compensated for her expenses.
on aurait compensé On aurait compensé pour les dommages. One would have compensated for the damages.
nous aurions compensé Nous aurions compensé nos absences. We would have compensated for our absences.
vous auriez compensé Vous auriez compensé vos retards. You would have compensated for your delays.
ils auraient compensé Ils auraient compensé leurs fautes. They would have compensated for their mistakes.
elles auraient compensé Elles auraient compensé leurs blessures. They (female) would have compensated for their injuries.

Other Conjugations for Compenser.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compenser
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required! 

  

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the compenser Conditionnel Passé tense conjugation!

Compenser – 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.

Want More?

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb compenser. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts