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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb en trouver

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The English translation of the French verb en trouver is “to find out” or “to discover.” It is pronounced as “ah(n) troo-vay.”

The origin of en trouver comes from the Old French word “trover,” meaning “to find.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is the conditional perfect tense in English. This tense is used to talk about things that could have happened in the past if certain conditions had been met.

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

  1. Si j’avais cherché plus tôt, j’en aurais trouvé la réponse. (If I had looked earlier, I would have found the answer.)
  2. Tu en aurais trouvé des choses intéressantes si tu avais visité cette ville. (You would have found interesting things if you had visited this city.)
  3. Il en aurait trouvé la clé s’il avait regardé dans ses poches. (He would have found the key if he had checked his pockets.)

Table of the Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of en trouver

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais trouvé Si j’avais regardé, j’aurais trouvé. If I had looked, I would have found.
tu aurais trouvé Tu aurais trouvé le bonheur. You would have found happiness.
il aurait trouvé Il aurait trouvé la solution. He would have found the solution.
elle aurait trouvé Elle aurait trouvé un trésor. She would have found a treasure.
on aurait trouvé On aurait trouvé une bonne solution. One would have found a good solution.
nous aurions trouvé Nous aurions trouvé les clés. We would have found the keys.
vous auriez trouvé Vous auriez trouvé votre chemin. You would have found your way.
ils auraient trouvé Ils auraient trouvé une réponse. They would have found an answer.
elles auraient trouvé Elles auraient trouvé un nouveau job. They (female) would have found a new job.

Other Conjugations for En Trouver.

    

    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb en trouver
     

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb en trouver
     

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb en trouver
     

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

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb en trouver
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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En Trouver – 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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