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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dîner

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The English translation of the French verb dîner is “to dine” or “to have dinner.” The infinitive form of dîner is pronounced “dee-nay.”

The language origin of dîner can be traced back to the Latin word “dis-jejunare,” meaning “to break the fast.” In modern French, it is most often used to refer to the act of having a meal in the evening, specifically dinner.

In the Conditionnel Passé tense, dîner is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that would have taken place in the past. It is formed by combining the conditional form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” with the past participle of dîner.

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

  1. Si j’avais su qu’il allait y avoir autant de monde, j’aurais dîné plus tôt.
    Translation: If I had known there would be so many people, I would have had dinner earlier.

  2. Nous aurions dîné dans un restaurant chic si nous avions gagné au loto.
    Translation: We would have dined at a fancy restaurant if we had won the lottery.

  3. Tu n’aurais pas dû dîner autant de chocolat, tu risques d’avoir mal au ventre.
    Translation: You shouldn’t have eaten so much chocolate for dinner, you might get a stomach ache.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais dîné Si j’avais su, j’aurais dîné chez toi. I would have had dinner at your place.
tu aurais dîné Tu aurais dîné avec nous. You would have had dinner with us.
il aurait dîné Il aurait dîné au restaurant. He would have had dinner at the restaurant.
elle aurait dîné Elle aurait dîné tard. She would have had dinner late.
on aurait dîné On aurait dîné à la maison. One would have had dinner at home.
nous aurions dîné Nous aurions dîné ensemble. We would have had dinner together.
vous auriez dîné Vous auriez dîné avec eux. You would have had dinner with them.
ils auraient dîné Ils auraient dîné au café. They would have had dinner at the café.
elles auraient dîné Elles auraient dîné en ville. They (female) would have had dinner in town.

Other Conjugations for Dîner.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dîner
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Dîner – 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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