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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb compéter

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The English translation of the French verb compéter is “to complete.” It is pronounced “kohm-peh-tay.”

The language origin of compéter can be traced back to the Latin word “completare,” which means “to fill up” or “to make complete.” It entered the French language in the 14th century.

In everyday French, compéter is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that would have occurred in the past.

Examples:

  1. Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais compété ce projet. (If I had had more time, I would have completed this project.)
  2. Je n’aurais pas compété ce défi sans ton aide. (I wouldn’t have completed this challenge without your help.)
  3. Si tu avais commencé plus tôt, tu aurais compété le marathon. (If you had started earlier, you would have completed the marathon.)

Translation:

  1. If I had had more time, I would have completed this project.
  2. I wouldn’t have completed this challenge without your help.
  3. If you had started earlier, you would have completed the marathon.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais complété Si j’avais eu plus de temps, je t’aurais complété. If I had more time, I would have completed it for you.
tu aurais complété Tu aurais complété ta tâche plus tôt. You would have completed your task earlier.
il aurait complété Il aurait complété son travail. He would have completed his work.
elle aurait complété Elle aurait complété ses devoirs. She would have completed her homework.
on aurait complété On aurait complété le projet ensemble. One would have completed the project together.
nous aurions complété Nous aurions complété le rapport. We would have completed the report.
vous auriez complété Vous auriez complété l’examen. You would have completed the exam.
ils auraient complété Ils auraient complété leur mission. They would have completed their mission.
elles auraient complété Elles auraient complété l’entraînement. They (female) would have completed the training.

Other Conjugations for Compéter.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compéter
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Compéter – 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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