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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb exercer

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The English translation of the French verb exercer is “to exercise” or “to train.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ehk-sehr-seh.”

The word “exercer” comes from the Latin word “exercere,” which means “to train, exercise, or practice.” It is most commonly used in everyday French to refer to physical exercise or training, but it can also refer to practicing a skill or profession.

In the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or unreal past action, “exercer” is conjugated as “j’aurais exercé,” meaning “I would have exercised.”

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais exercé tous les jours. (If I had had more time, I would have exercised every day.)

  2. Elle aurait exercé pendant des heures si elle n’était pas tombée malade. (She would have exercised for hours if she hadn’t gotten sick.)

  3. Nous aurions exercé nos compétences en tant que chefs d’équipe. (We would have exercised our skills as team leaders.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais exercé Si j’avais eu plus de temps, je t’aurais exercé If I had more time, I would have practiced with you.
tu aurais exercé Tu aurais exercé avec ta sœur. You would have practiced with your sister.
il aurait exercé Il aurait exercé en tant que médecin. He would have practiced as a doctor.
elle aurait exercé Elle aurait exercé son droit de vote. She would have exercised her right to vote.
on aurait exercé On aurait exercé notre pouvoir. We would have exercised our power.
nous aurions exercé Nous aurions exercé ensemble. We would have exercised together.
vous auriez exercé Vous auriez exercé ces exercices. You would have practiced these exercises.
ils auraient exercé Ils auraient exercé leur métier. They would have practiced their profession.
elles auraient exercé Elles auraient exercé leurs droits. They (female) would have exercised their rights.

Other Conjugations for Exercer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb exercer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Exercer – 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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