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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contagionner

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The English translation of the French verb contagionner is “to infect.” The infinitive form of contagionner is pronounced as “kon-ta-zee-oh-nay.”

Contagionner comes from the Latin word “contagio,” meaning “infection” or “contagion.” It entered the French language in the 13th century and has been in use ever since.

In everyday French, contagionner is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is formed with the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Conditionnel Présent, followed by the past participle of the verb (in this case, contagionné).

Example 1: Si je n’avais pas touché cette personne malade, je ne me serais pas contagionné. (If I had not touched that sick person, I would not have become infected.)

Example 2: Il aurait fallu isoler le patient pour éviter de contagionner les autres. (We should have isolated the patient to prevent infecting others.)

Example 3: Elle aurait été contagionnée par son frère, qui avait la grippe. (She would have been infected by her brother, who had the flu.)

In English, the Conditionnel Passé tense is often translated as “would have + past participle.”

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais contagionné Si j’avais su, je t’aurais contagionné. I would have infected you.
tu aurais contagionné Tu aurais contagionné plus tôt. You would have infected earlier.
il aurait contagionné Il aurait contagionné les autres. He would have infected others.
elle aurait contagionné Elle aurait contagionné sa famille. She would have infected her family.
on aurait contagionné On aurait contagionné tout le monde. One would have infected everyone.
nous aurions contagionné Nous aurions contagionné en voyageant. We would have infected while traveling.
vous auriez contagionné Vous auriez contagionné avec vos contacts. You would have infected with your contacts.
ils auraient contagionné Ils auraient contagionné la ville. They would have infected the city.
elles auraient contagionné Elles auraient contagionné leur entourage. They (female) would have infected their circle.

Other Conjugations for Contagionner.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contagionner
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Contagionner – 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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