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

Introduction to the verb errer

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The English translation of the French verb errer is “to wander” or “to roam.” It is pronounced as “eh-reh.”

Errer comes from the Latin word “errare,” which means “to wander.” It is commonly used in everyday French in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or imagined action that would have happened in the past. This tense is formed with the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Conditionnel Présent tense, followed by the past participle of the verb.

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

  1. Si j’avais erré dans les rues de Paris, j’aurais découvert de nombreux trésors. (If I had wandered the streets of Paris, I would have discovered many treasures.)
  2. Ils auraient erré pendant des heures dans la forêt avant de retrouver leur chemin. (They would have roamed for hours in the forest before finding their way back.)
  3. Nous serions partis à la montagne si nous n’avions pas erré dans le centre-ville. (We would have gone to the mountains if we hadn’t wandered around the city center.)

Overall, errer is a versatile verb that can express the act of wandering physically or mentally. It can also be used in a figurative sense, such as “to wander aimlessly” or “to wander in one’s thoughts.”

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais erré Si j’avais su, j’aurais erré toute la journée. I would have wandered all day.
tu aurais erré Tu aurais erré dans le parc. You would have wandered in the park.
il aurait erré Il aurait erré dans les rues. He would have roamed the streets.
elle aurait erré Elle aurait erré seule. She would have wandered alone.
on aurait erré On aurait erré dans la forêt. One would have wandered in the forest.
nous aurions erré Nous aurions erré en montagne. We would have wandered in the mountains.
vous auriez erré Vous auriez erré dans le désert. You would have wandered in the desert.
ils auraient erré Ils auraient erré dans la ville. They would have wandered in the city.
elles auraient erré Elles auraient erré sur la plage. They (female) would have wandered on the beach.

Other Conjugations for Errer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb errer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Errer – 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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