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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb filer

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The English translation of the French verb filer is “to spin” or “to weave”. The infinitive form, filer, is pronounced as “fee-lay”.

Filer comes from the Latin word “filare” which means “to spin”. It was introduced into the French language in the 12th century when spinning and weaving were common activities.

In everyday French, filer is often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is the conditional perfect tense in English. This tense is used to express actions that would have happened in the past if certain conditions had been met.

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

  1. Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais filé une laine pour tricoter un pull. (If I had more time, I would have spun some wool to knit a sweater.)
  2. Elle aurait filé les cheveux de sa fille si elle avait su tresser. (She would have braided her daughter’s hair if she knew how to do it.)
  3. Nous aurions filé un fil d’or pour décorer le gâteau si nous en avions eu l’occasion. (We would have spun a gold thread to decorate the cake if we had the opportunity.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais filé J’aurais filé si j’avais su. I would have spun if I had known.
tu aurais filé Tu aurais filé plus vite. You would have spun faster.
il aurait filé Il aurait filé avec elle. He would have spun with her.
elle aurait filé Elle aurait filé vers la mer. She would have spun towards the sea.
on aurait filé On aurait filé vers le nord. One would have spun towards the north.
nous aurions filé Nous aurions filé le fil. We would have spun the thread.
vous auriez filé Vous auriez filé le tissu. You would have spun the fabric.
ils auraient filé Ils auraient filé en voiture. They would have driven away.
elles auraient filé Elles auraient filé à vélo. They (female) would have cycled away.

Other Conjugations for Filer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb filer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Filer – 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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