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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb effarer

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The English translation of the French verb effarer is “to startle” or “to frighten.” It is pronounced [eh-fah-reh] in its infinitive form.

The word effarer comes from the Old French word “effreer,” which means “to terrify.” It can also be traced back to the Latin word “exfrāidāre,” meaning “to frighten greatly.”

In everyday French, effarer is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical action or event that would have occurred in the past. It is formed by using the conditional form of the auxiliary verb avoir or être, followed by the past participle form of effarer (effaré).

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

  1. Si j’avais vu ce film d’horreur, j’aurais été effaré. (If I had watched this horror movie, I would have been startled.)
  2. Nous aurions été effarés si nous avions vu un fantôme dans cette vieille maison. (We would have been frightened if we had seen a ghost in this old house.)
  3. Elle se serait effarée en voyant l’araignée sur son oreiller. (She would have been startled upon seeing the spider on her pillow.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais effaré J’aurais effaré tout le monde. I would have terrified everyone.
tu aurais effaré Tu aurais effaré tes parents. You would have scared your parents.
il aurait effaré Il aurait effaré le public. He would have frightened the audience.
elle aurait effaré Elle aurait effaré ses amis. She would have shocked her friends.
on aurait effaré On aurait effaré la ville entière. One would have terrified the whole city.
nous aurions effaré Nous aurions effaré nos voisins. We would have scared our neighbors.
vous auriez effaré Vous auriez effaré le directeur. You would have scared the director.
ils auraient effaré Ils auraient effaré leurs ennemis. They would have terrified their enemies.
elles auraient effaré Elles auraient effaré tout le monde. They (female) would have terrified everyone.

Other Conjugations for Effarer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effarer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Effarer – 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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