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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb conseiller

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The English translation of the French verb conseiller is “to advise” or “to recommend.” The infinitive form of conseiller is pronounced “kon-say-yay.”

The word conseiller comes from the Latin word “consiliarius,” meaning “counselor.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used in its current form since the 16th century.

In everyday French, the Conditionnel Passé tense is typically used to express actions that would have happened in the past if certain conditions were met. It is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb avoir or être in the Conditionnel Présent and adding the past participle of the main verb.

Here are 3 simple examples of conseiller in the Conditionnel Passé tense:

  1. Si j’avais su, je t’aurais conseillé de ne pas y aller. (If I had known, I would have advised you not to go.)
  2. Il aurait fallu qu’ils suivent les conseils de leur mère. (They should have followed their mother’s advice.)
  3. J’aurais conseillé à mes amis de visiter le musée. (I would have recommended my friends to visit the museum.)

In all of these examples, conseiller is used to express a past action that could have happened if certain conditions were met. It is often used in combination with the verb “avoir” (to have) to express regret, as in the first example.

In conclusion, conseiller is a common verb in French used to express the act of giving advice or recommendations. In the Conditionnel Passé tense, it can express actions that could have happened in the past under certain conditions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais conseillé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais conseillé. I would have advised you.
tu aurais conseillé Tu aurais conseillé plus tôt. You would have advised earlier.
il aurait conseillé Il aurait conseillé du film. He would have advised about the movie.
elle aurait conseillé Elle aurait conseillé à sa mère. She would have advised to her mother.
on aurait conseillé On aurait conseillé de tout ça. One would have advised about all of that.
nous aurions conseillé Nous aurions conseillé en français. We would have advised in French.
vous auriez conseillé Vous auriez conseillé avec eux. You would have advised with them.
ils auraient conseillé Ils auraient conseillé de politique. They would have advised about politics.
elles auraient conseillé Elles auraient conseillé à leurs amis. They (female) would have advised to their friends.

Other Conjugations for Conseiller.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb conseiller
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Conseiller – 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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