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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coquiller

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The English translation of the French verb coquiller is “to shell”. It is pronounced as “koh-kee-yay”.

The word coquiller comes from the French noun “coquille”, which means “shell”. It is most often used as a transitive verb, meaning that it requires a direct object. In its infinitive form, coquiller means “to remove the shell of something”.

In everyday French, coquiller is often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is the conditional perfect tense. This tense is used to express a hypothetical action that would have occurred in the past if certain conditions were met. It is formed by using the conditional tense of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” and the past participle of the main verb.

Here are three simple examples of coquiller used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais coquillé toutes les noix. (If I had had more time, I would have shelled all the walnuts.)

  2. Tu aurais coquillé les œufs si tu avais su comment faire. (You would have shelled the eggs if you had known how to do it.)

  3. Nous serions allés à la plage si nous avions coquillé assez de fruits de mer. (We would have gone to the beach if we had shelled enough seafood.)

In these examples, coquiller is used in its transitive form, with a direct object (les noix, les œufs, les fruits de mer). The auxiliary verb “avoir” is conjugated in the conditional tense, and the past participle of coquiller (coquillé) is used to form the conditional perfect tense.

Overall, coquiller is a versatile verb that can be used in various tenses and forms to describe the action of removing the shell of something.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais coquillé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais coquillé. I would have ‘coquilled’ (used slang word) with you.
tu aurais coquillé Tu aurais coquillé plus tôt. You would have coquilled earlier.
il aurait coquillé Il aurait coquillé du fruit de mer. He would have ‘coquilled’ seafood.
elle aurait coquillé Elle aurait coquillé avec ses amis. She would have ‘coquilled’ with her friends.
on aurait coquillé On aurait coquillé ensemble. One would have ‘coquilled’ together.
nous aurions coquillé Nous aurions coquillé au marché. We would have ‘coquilled’ at the market.
vous auriez coquillé Vous auriez coquillé en Bretagne. You would have ‘coquilled’ in Brittany.
ils auraient coquillé Ils auraient coquillé dans un restaurant. They would have ‘coquilled’ at a restaurant.
elles auraient coquillé Elles auraient coquillé des moules. They (female) would have ‘coquilled’ mussels.

Other Conjugations for Coquiller.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coquiller
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Coquiller – 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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