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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépenser

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The English translation of the French verb dépenser is “to spend.” The infinitive form of dépenser is pronounced as “deuh-pan-say.”

Dépenser comes from the Latin word “dispensare,” meaning “to distribute, divide, or spend.” It entered the French language in the 12th century.

In everyday French, dépenser is often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical or possible action in the past. This tense is formed by using the conditional auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” and the past participle of the verb.

Some examples of dépenser in the Conditionnel Passé tense are:

  1. Si j’avais gagné à la loterie, j’aurais dépensé tout l’argent en voyages. (If I had won the lottery, I would have spent all the money on trips.)

  2. Ils se seraient ruinés s’ils avaient dépensé autant d’argent en vêtements de marque. (They would have gone bankrupt if they had spent so much money on designer clothes.)

  3. Tu aurais pu économiser si tu n’avais pas dépensé tout ton salaire en une seule soirée. (You could have saved money if you hadn’t spent your entire salary in one night.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais dépensé Si j’avais gagné à la loterie, je serais dépensé tout mon argent. If I had won the lottery, I would have spent all my money.
tu aurais dépensé Tu aurais dépensé ton salaire en une soirée. You would have spent your salary in one evening.
il aurait dépensé Il aurait dépensé beaucoup d’argent en vacances. He would have spent a lot of money on vacation.
elle aurait dépensé Elle aurait dépensé son argent à des choses futiles. She would have spent her money on frivolous things.
on aurait dépensé On aurait dépensé tout notre argent en cadeaux. We would have spent all our money on gifts.
nous aurions dépensé Nous aurions dépensé une fortune en rénovations. We would have spent a fortune on renovations.
vous auriez dépensé Vous auriez dépensé votre épargne en voyages. You would have spent your savings on trips.
ils auraient dépensé Ils auraient dépensé leur argent en objets de luxe. They would have spent their money on luxury items.
elles auraient dépensé Elles auraient dépensé leur fortune en vêtements. They (female) would have spent their fortune on clothes.

Other Conjugations for Dépenser.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépenser
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Dépenser – 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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