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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb courailler

Get the Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) tense conjugation of courailler. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb courailler is “to chase” or “to run after”. The infinitive form is pronounced “koo-ray-yay”.

The word courailler comes from the Old French word “curreler”, meaning “to chase” or “to run after”. It is a combination of the words “courre” (to run) and “ailer” (to go). In everyday French, it is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical action in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais couraillé après le chat qui s’était échappé. (If I had had more time, I would have chased after the cat that had run away.)
  2. Elle m’a dit qu’elle m’aurait couraillé si je n’étais pas arrivé à l’heure. (She told me she would have run after me if I hadn’t arrived on time.)
  3. Nous aurions couraillé les voleurs si nous avions su qu’ils étaient là. (We would have chased the thieves if we had known they were there.)

In each of these examples, courailler is used to express a hypothetical action that could have taken place in the past if certain conditions had been met. It is often used in the context of regret or missed opportunities.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais couraillé Si j’avais su, j’aurais couraillé. I would have been a coward, if I had known.
tu aurais couraillé Tu aurais couraillé plus tôt. You would have been a coward earlier.
il aurait couraillé Il aurait couru se cacher. He would have run and hide.
elle aurait couraillé Elle aurait couru pour sa vie. She would have run for her life.
on aurait couraillé On aurait couru si vite qu’on aurait pu voler. One would have run so fast that they could have flown.
nous aurions couraillé Nous aurions couru comme des fous. We would have run like crazy.
vous auriez couraillé Vous auriez couru comme des lâches. You would have run like cowards.
ils auraient couraillé Ils auraient couru comme des lapins. They would have run like rabbits.
elles auraient couraillé Elles auraient couru vers la sortie. They (female) would have run towards the exit.

Other Conjugations for Courailler.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb courailler
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required! 

  

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the courailler Conditionnel Passé tense conjugation!

Courailler – 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.

Want More?

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb courailler. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts