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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb enrôler

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The English translation of the French verb enrôler is “to enroll” or “to enlist.” It is pronounced as [ah(n)-roh-leh].

The language origin of enrôler can be traced back to the Old French word “enroller,” meaning “to register” or “to record.” Over time, the meaning evolved to refer specifically to enlisting in the military or joining an organization.

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

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

  1. Si j’avais eu l’opportunité, j’aurais pu m’enrôler dans l’armée. (If I had had the opportunity, I could have enlisted in the army.)
  2. Ils auraient volontiers enrôlé de nouveaux membres dans leur club. (They would have gladly enrolled new members in their club.)
  3. Elle serait certainement devenue médecin si elle s’était enrôlée dans une école de médecine. (She would have certainly become a doctor if she had enrolled in a medical school.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais enrôlé Si j’avais eu la chance, je t’aurais enrôlé. I would have enlisted you if I had the chance.
tu aurais enrôlé Tu aurais enrôlé plus de soldats. You would have recruited more soldiers.
il aurait enrôlé Il aurait enrôlé des jeunes. He would have recruited young people.
elle aurait enrôlé Elle aurait enrôlé des volontaires. She would have recruited volunteers.
on aurait enrôlé On aurait enrôlé des personnes pour le projet. One would have recruited people for the project.
nous aurions enrôlé Nous aurions enrôlé des réservistes. We would have enlisted reservists.
vous auriez enrôlé Vous auriez enrôlé des membres de la communauté. You would have recruited members of the community.
ils auraient enrôlé Ils auraient enrôlé des citoyens. They would have recruited citizens.
elles auraient enrôlé Elles auraient enrôlé des bénévoles. They (female) would have recruited volunteers.

Other Conjugations for Enrôler.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb enrôler
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Enrôler – 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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