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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cuivrer

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The English translation of the French verb cuivrer is “to copper,” as in to coat or cover with a layer of copper. The infinitive form, cuivrer, is pronounced “kwee-vray.”

The language origin of cuivrer comes from the French word “cuivre,” meaning copper, and the suffix “-er,” which is added to verbs to indicate the infinitive form. In everyday French, cuivrer is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is the conditional perfect tense in English.

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

  1. Si j’avais su, j’aurais cuivré la toiture de ma maison. (If I had known, I would have coppered the roof of my house.)
  2. Nous aurions cuivré la statue si nous avions eu assez d’argent. (We would have coppered the statue if we had had enough money.)
  3. Ils auraient cuivré la poignée de porte pour empêcher la rouille. (They would have coppered the door handle to prevent rust.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais cuivré Si j’avais su, je t’aurais cuivré. I would have coated you with copper.
tu aurais cuivré Tu aurais cuivré plus tôt. You would have coated earlier.
il aurait cuivré Il aurait cuivré le toit. He would have coated the roof.
elle aurait cuivré Elle aurait cuivré sa baignoire. She would have coated her bathtub.
on aurait cuivré On aurait cuivré toutes les pièces. One would have coated all the rooms.
nous aurions cuivré Nous aurions cuivré la porte d’entrée. We would have coated the front door.
vous auriez cuivré Vous auriez cuivré avec du bronze. You would have coated with bronze.
ils auraient cuivré Ils auraient cuivré les statues. They would have coated the statues.
elles auraient cuivré Elles auraient cuivré leurs bijoux. They (female) would have coated their jewelry.

Other Conjugations for Cuivrer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cuivrer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Cuivrer – 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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