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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb conserver

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The English translation of the French verb conserver is “to conserve” or “to preserve.” It is pronounced as [kɔ̃.sɛʁ.ve].

The word conserver comes from the Latin verb “conservare” meaning “to keep, preserve, maintain.” In everyday French, it is most often used to talk about keeping or preserving something, such as food, objects, or traditions.

In the Conditionnel Passé tense, conserver is used to express actions that would have been conserved or preserved in the past under certain conditions. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in its conditional form, followed by the past participle of conserver (conservé).

Here are 3 simple examples of its usage in this tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais su, j’aurais conservé cette vieille photo. (If I had known, I would have preserved this old photo.)
  2. Nous aurions conservé cette tradition familiale si nous étions restés dans notre pays d’origine. (We would have kept this family tradition if we had stayed in our home country.)
  3. Vous auriez conservé votre emploi si vous aviez travaillé plus dur. (You would have preserved your job if you had worked harder.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais conservé Si j’avais su, je l’aurais conservé. If I had known, I would have kept it.
tu aurais conservé Tu aurais conservé tes affaires. You would have kept your belongings.
il aurait conservé Il aurait conservé son poste. He would have kept his job.
elle aurait conservé Elle aurait conservé son calme. She would have kept her calm.
on aurait conservé On aurait conservé la tradition. One would have kept the tradition.
nous aurions conservé Nous aurions conservé nos valeurs. We would have kept our values.
vous auriez conservé Vous auriez conservé le secret. You would have kept the secret.
ils auraient conservé Ils auraient conservé leur argent. They would have kept their money.
elles auraient conservé Elles auraient conservé leur indépendance. They (female) would have kept their independence.

Other Conjugations for Conserver.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb conserver
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Conserver – 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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