Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-plaquer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contre-plaquer

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The English translation of the French verb contre-plaquer is “to counter-leaf.” It is pronounced “kon-tre-pla-kay.”

The word contre-plaquer comes from the French word “contre,” meaning “against,” and “plaquer,” meaning “to press or stick.” It is a compound verb formed by adding the prefix “contre” to the verb “plaquer.”

In everyday French, contre-plaquer is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense. This tense is used to express a hypothetical action or event that would have occurred in the past if certain conditions had been met.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Si j’avais su, je t’aurais contre-plaqué. (If I had known, I would have counter-leaved you.) This sentence expresses a hypothetical regret about not having countered or stopped an action.

  2. Nous aurions contre-plaqué cette idée si nous avions eu plus de temps. (We would have counter-leaved this idea if we had more time.) This sentence expresses a hypothetical action that could have changed the outcome if there had been more time.

  3. Vous auriez contre-plaqué le ballon si vous aviez eu plus de force. (You would have counter-leaved the ball if you had had more strength.) This sentence expresses a hypothetical action that could have been taken if there had been more strength.

In each of these examples, the Conditionnel Passé tense is used to express a hypothetical action in the past, and contre-plaquer is used to describe the potential action that could have been taken to counter the situation.

Table of the Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of contre-plaquer

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais contre-plaqué Si j’avais pu, je t’aurais contre-plaqué. I would have counter-attacked you.
tu aurais contre-plaqué Tu aurais contre-plaqué plus tôt. You would have counter-attacked earlier.
il aurait contre-plaqué Il aurait contre-plaqué l’équipe adverse. He would have counter-attacked the opposing team.
elle aurait contre-plaqué Elle aurait contre-plaqué les attaquants. She would have counter-attacked the attackers.
on aurait contre-plaqué On aurait contre-plaqué s’il avait fallu. One would have counter-attacked if it had been necessary.
nous aurions contre-plaqué Nous aurions contre-plaqué ensemble. We would have counter-attacked together.
vous auriez contre-plaqué Vous auriez contre-plaqué avec eux. You would have counter-attacked with them.
ils auraient contre-plaqué Ils auraient contre-plaqué l’équipe adverse. They would have counter-attacked the opposing team.
elles auraient contre-plaqué Elles auraient contre-plaqué les attaquantes. They (female)would have counter-attacked the attackers.

Other Conjugations for Contre-Plaquer.

    

    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb contre-plaquer
     

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-plaquer
     

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-plaquer
     

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-plaquer
     

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-plaquer
     

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-plaquer
     

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

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-plaquer

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-plaquer

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-plaquer

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-plaquer
     

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-plaquer

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

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-plaquer
     

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-plaquer  (this article)

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-plaquer

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-plaquer


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Contre-Plaquer – 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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