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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contribuer

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The English translation of the French verb contribuer is “to contribute.” The infinitive form, contribuer, is pronounced “kohn-tree-boo-eh.”

The word contribuer is derived from the Latin verb contribuere, which means “to bring together” or “to unite.” It entered the French language in the 14th century and has remained a commonly used verb since then.

In everyday French, contribuer is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical or possible action in the past. This tense is formed by using the conditional auxiliary verb “aurais” followed by the past participle of the verb.

Three simple examples of contribuer in the Conditionnel Passé tense are:

  1. Si j’avais su, j’aurais contribué à la collecte de fonds pour l’association caritative. (If I had known, I would have contributed to the fundraising for the charity.)
  2. Tu aurais contribué à améliorer l’ambiance si tu avais apporté ta guitare. (You would have contributed to improving the atmosphere if you had brought your guitar.)
  3. Nous aurions contribué à l’effort de guerre en travaillant dans une usine d’armement. (We would have contributed to the war effort by working in an arms factory.)

English translations for these examples:

  1. If I had known, I would have contributed to the fundraising for the charity.
  2. You would have contributed to improving the atmosphere if you had brought your guitar.
  3. We would have contributed to the war effort by working in an arms factory.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais contribué Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais contribué. If I had more time, I would have contributed.
tu aurais contribué Tu aurais contribué à la campagne. You would have contributed to the campaign.
il aurait contribué Il aurait contribué à l’effort collectif. He would have contributed to the collective effort.
elle aurait contribué Elle aurait contribué à la réalisation du projet. She would have contributed to the realization of the project.
on aurait contribué On aurait contribué à la réussite du projet. One would have contributed to the success of the project.
nous aurions contribué Nous aurions grandement contribué à cette cause. We would have greatly contributed to this cause.
vous auriez contribué Vous auriez contribué à l’amélioration du système. You would have contributed to improving the system.
ils auraient contribué Ils auraient contribué à résoudre le problème. They would have contributed to solving the problem.
elles auraient contribué Elles auraient contribué à l’avancement de la recherche. They (female) would have contributed to advancing the research.

Other Conjugations for Contribuer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contribuer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Contribuer – 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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