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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb conférer

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The English translation of the French verb conférer is “to confer” or “to grant.” It is pronounced as “kawn-feh-ray” in its infinitive form.

The word conférer comes from the Latin word “conferre,” which means “to bring together.” It first appeared in Old French in the 12th century and was originally used in the sense of “to compare or consult.” Over time, its meaning evolved to include the idea of granting or conferring something to someone.

In everyday French, conférer is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which indicates a hypothetical or possible action that would have taken place in the past. It is formed by using the conditional form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of conférer.

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

  1. Si j’avais eu la chance, j’aurais conféré le titre de Docteur à ma fille. (If I had the chance, I would have conferred the title of Doctor to my daughter.)

  2. S’il avait terminé ses études, on lui aurait conféré un poste important dans l’entreprise. (If he had completed his studies, he would have been granted an important position in the company.)

  3. Si elles avaient réussi l’examen, on leur aurait conféré le droit d’exercer la médecine. (If they had passed the exam, they would have been granted the right to practice medicine.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais conféré Si j’avais su, je t’aurais conféré. I would have conferred with you.
tu aurais conféré Tu aurais conféré plus tôt. You would have conferred earlier.
il aurait conféré Il aurait conféré avec son équipe. He would have conferred with his team.
elle aurait conféré Elle aurait conféré avec sa sœur. She would have conferred with her sister.
on aurait conféré On aurait conféré de cette décision. One would have conferred about this decision.
nous aurions conféré Nous aurions conféré en privé. We would have conferred in private.
vous auriez conféré Vous auriez conféré ensemble. You would have conferred together.
ils auraient conféré Ils auraient conféré avec l’avocat. They would have conferred with the lawyer.
elles auraient conféré Elles auraient conféré des idées. They (female) would have conferred ideas.

Other Conjugations for Conférer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb conférer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Conférer – 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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