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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb flirter

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The English translation of the French verb flirter is “to flirt.” The infinitive form is pronounced “flee-ter.”

The word flirter has its roots in the Old French word “fleureter,” which means “to touch lightly.” By the late 18th century, the word evolved to mean “to engage playfully in amorous behavior” and has since been used to refer to playful romantic interactions.

In everyday French, the verb flirter is most commonly used in the Conditionnel Passé tense to express a hypothetical or unrealized flirtation. This tense is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Conditionnel Présent followed by the past participle of flirter.

Example 1: Si j’avais vu Marie hier soir, je lui aurais flirter.
(If I had seen Marie last night, I would have flirted with her.)

Example 2: Nous serions allés au bar ensemble si vous aviez accepté de flirter avec moi.
(We would have gone to the bar together if you had agreed to flirt with me.)

Example 3: Tu lui aurais offert un verre si elle avait commencé à flirter avec toi.
(You would have bought her a drink if she had started flirting with you.)

English translations:
Example 1: If I had seen Marie last night, I would have flirted with her.
Example 2: We would have gone to the bar together if you had agreed to flirt with me.
Example 3: You would have bought her a drink if she had started flirting with you.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais flirté Si j’avais su, j’aurais flirté. I would have flirted.
tu aurais flirté Tu aurais flirté avec elle. You would have flirted with her.
il aurait flirté Il aurait flirté avec moi. He would have flirted with me.
elle aurait flirté Elle aurait flirté avec lui. She would have flirted with him.
on aurait flirté On aurait flirté toute la nuit. One would have flirted all night.
nous aurions flirté Nous aurions flirté à la fête. We would have flirted at the party.
vous auriez flirté Vous auriez flirté avec eux. You would have flirted with them.
ils auraient flirté Ils auraient flirté avec elles. They would have flirted with them.
elles auraient flirté Elles auraient flirté avec leurs amis. They (female) would have flirted with their friends.

Other Conjugations for Flirter.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb flirter
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Flirter – 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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