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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb côtoyer

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The English translation of the French verb côtoyer is “to rub shoulders with” or “to be in close proximity to.” It is pronounced as “koh-twa-yay” in its infinitive form.

The word côtoyer comes from the French word “côte” meaning “side” or “coast.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe being near or alongside someone or something.

In the Conditionnel Passé tense, côtoyer is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action 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 côtoyer.

Three examples of côtoyer in the Conditionnel Passé tense are:

  1. Si j’avais côtoyé ces célébrités, j’aurais pris des photos avec eux. (If I had rubbed shoulders with these celebrities, I would have taken photos with them.)

  2. Nous serions arrivés en avance si nous avions côtoyé le fleuve plutôt que la route principale. (We would have arrived early if we had been near the river instead of the main road.)

  3. Elle aurait pu être plus confiante si elle avait côtoyé des personnes plus sûres d’elles. (She could have been more confident if she had been around more self-assured people.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais côtoyé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais côtoyé. I would have been around you.
tu aurais côtoyé Tu aurais côtoyé plus souvent. You would have associated with them often.
il aurait côtoyé Il aurait côtoyé des célébrités. He would have mingled with celebrities.
elle aurait côtoyé Elle aurait côtoyé de nouvelles personnes. She would have associated with new people.
on aurait côtoyé On aurait côtoyé des gens intéressants. One would have been around interesting people.
nous aurions côtoyé Nous aurions côtoyé des cultures différentes. We would have experienced different cultures.
vous auriez côtoyé Vous auriez côtoyé la foule. You would have been around the crowd.
ils auraient côtoyé Ils auraient côtoyé des endroits exotiques. They would have been around exotic places.
elles auraient côtoyé Elles auraient côtoyé des personnes influentes. They (female) would have associated with influential people.

Other Conjugations for Côtoyer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Côtoyer – 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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