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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cultiver

Get the Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) tense conjugation of cultiver. 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 cultiver is “to cultivate.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “kool-tee-vay”.

The word cultiver originates from the Latin word “colere” meaning “to till, cultivate, or inhabit.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used to refer to the act of cultivating land or plants. In everyday French, cultiver is often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is used to talk about hypothetical or imagined actions in the past.

Examples:

  1. Si j’avais le temps, j’aurais cultivé un jardin cet été. (If I had the time, I would have cultivated a garden this summer.)
  2. Elle aurait cultivé ses propres légumes si elle avait un jardin. (She would have cultivated her own vegetables if she had a garden.)
  3. Nous aurions cultivé des fleurs pour décorer la maison si nous étions restés plus longtemps. (We would have cultivated flowers to decorate the house if we had stayed longer.)

In each of these examples, the Conditionnel Passé tense is used to express a hypothetical or imagined situation in the past, where the action of cultivating is not certain or did not happen.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais cultivé Si j’avais plus de temps, je l’aurais cultivé. If I had more time, I would have cultivated it.
tu aurais cultivé Tu aurais cultivé tes propres légumes. You would have grown your own vegetables.
il aurait cultivé Il aurait cultivé des fleurs dans son jardin. He would have grown flowers in his garden.
elle aurait cultivé Elle aurait cultivé son propre potager. She would have cultivated her own vegetable garden.
on aurait cultivé On aurait cultivé des plantes médicinales. One would have grown medicinal plants.
nous aurions cultivé Nous aurions cultivé ensemble. We would have cultivated together.
vous auriez cultivé Vous auriez cultivé plus de variétés. You would have grown more varieties.
ils auraient cultivé Ils auraient cultivé de grandes exploitations agricoles. They would have grown large farms.
elles auraient cultivé Elles auraient cultivé des champs de fruits et légumes. They (female) would have grown fields of fruits and vegetables.

Other Conjugations for Cultiver.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cultiver
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


    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 cultiver Conditionnel Passé tense conjugation!

Cultiver – 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 cultiver. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts