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

Introduction to the verb consister

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The English translation of the French verb consister is “to consist.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “kawn-see-stay.”

The word “consister” comes from the Latin verb “consistere,” which means “to stop, stand still.” In French, it is most often used in the present tense to talk about the composition or makeup of something.

In the Conditionnel Passé tense, “consister” is used to talk about what would have been made up of something in the past. It is often used in hypothetical or conditional sentences.

Here are three examples of “consister” in the Conditionnel Passé tense, with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais acheté le gâteau, il aurait consisté en chocolat et en framboises. (If I had bought the cake, it would have consisted of chocolate and raspberries.)
  2. Nous aurions gagné le match si notre équipe avait consisté en des joueurs plus expérimentés. (We would have won the game if our team had consisted of more experienced players.)
  3. J’aurais aimé venir à la fête, mais elle aurait consisté en une soirée costumée et je n’avais pas de déguisement. (I would have liked to come to the party, but it would have consisted of a costume party and I didn’t have a costume.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais consisté Si j’avais su, je t’aurais consisté. I would have consisted you.
tu aurais consisté Tu aurais consisté plus tôt. You would have consisted earlier.
il aurait consisté Il aurait consisté du problème. He would have consisted of the problem.
elle aurait consisté Elle aurait consisté à son projet. She would have consisted in her project.
on aurait consisté On aurait consisté à un accord. One would have consisted in an agreement.
nous aurions consisté Nous aurions consisté en vacances. We would have consisted in a vacation.
vous auriez consisté Vous auriez consisté avec votre choix. You would have consisted with your choice.
ils auraient consisté Ils auraient consisté à une solution. They would have consisted in a solution.
elles auraient consisté Elles auraient consisté en leur projet. They (female) would have consisted in their project.

Other Conjugations for Consister.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb consister
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Consister – 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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