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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contenter

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The English translation of the French verb “contenter” is “to please” or “to satisfy.” The infinitive form, pronounced as “kohn-tahn-tay,” comes from the Old French word “content,” meaning content or satisfied.

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

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

1) Si je t’avais écouté, je t’aurais contenté. (If I had listened to you, I would have pleased you.)
2) Nous aurions été contents si tu étais venu avec nous. (We would have been satisfied if you had come with us.)
3) Si elle avait obtenu son diplôme, ses parents auraient été très contents. (If she had received her diploma, her parents would have been very pleased.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je me serais contenté Je me serais contenté avec moins. I would have been satisfied with less.
tu te serais contenté Tu te serais contenté de cette réponse. You would have been satisfied with this answer.
il se serait contenté Il se serait contenté de peu. He would have been satisfied with little.
elle se serait contentée Elle se serait contentée du résultat. She would have been satisfied with the result.
on se serait contenté On se serait contenté de peu. One would have been satisfied with little.
nous nous serions contentés Nous nous serions contentés de la nourriture locale. We would have been satisfied with local food.
vous vous seriez contentés Vous vous seriez contentés de cette option. You would have been satisfied with this option.
ils se seraient contentés Ils se seraient contentés de cette solution. They would have been satisfied with this solution.
elles se seraient contentées Elles se seraient contentées du résultat. They (female) would have been satisfied with the result.

Other Conjugations for Contenter.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contenter
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Contenter – 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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