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

Introduction to the verb empeser

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The English translation of the French verb empeser is “to stiffen” or “to starch.” It is pronounced as [ɑ̃.pə.ze].

Empeser comes from the Old French term “empesier,” meaning “to make heavy.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which corresponds to the English conditional perfect tense.

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

  1. Si j’avais su, j’aurais empesé ma chemise pour le mariage. (If I had known, I would have stiffened my shirt for the wedding.)
  2. Elle m’aurait empesé le col de mon manteau si j’étais sorti sous la pluie. (She would have starched the collar of my coat if I had gone out in the rain.)
  3. Nous aurions empesé les rideaux avant la visite de nos invités. (We would have stiffened the curtains before our guests arrived.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais empesé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais empesé. I would have stiffened you.
tu aurais empesé Tu aurais empesé ton col. You would have starched your collar.
il aurait empesé Il aurait empesé sa chemise. He would have starched his shirt.
elle aurait empesé Elle aurait empesé sa jupe. She would have starched her skirt.
on aurait empesé On aurait empesé les draps. One would have starched the sheets.
nous aurions empesé Nous aurions empesé nos vêtements. We would have starched our clothes.
vous auriez empesé Vous auriez empesé vos cravates. You would have starched your ties.
ils auraient empesé Ils auraient empesé leurs costumes. They would have starched their suits.
elles auraient empesé Elles auraient empesé leurs robes. They (female) would have starched their dresses.

Other Conjugations for Empeser.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empeser
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Empeser – 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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