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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fonctionner

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The English translation of the French verb fonctionner is “to function” or “to work.” It is pronounced as “fohnk-see-oh-neh.”

The word fonctionner comes from the Latin “functionare,” meaning “to perform a duty.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the functioning or operation of something, such as a machine or a system. It can also be used figuratively to describe the functioning or success of a person or group.

In the Conditionnel Passé tense, fonctionner would be conjugated as “aurait fonctionné,” meaning “would have functioned.” Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Si j’avais suivi les instructions, mon ordinateur aurait fonctionné correctement. (If I had followed the instructions, my computer would have worked correctly.)

  2. Nous aurions pu réussir si tous les membres de l’équipe avaient bien fonctionné ensemble. (We could have succeeded if all team members had functioned well together.)

  3. Il aurait fallu que le système de refroidissement fonctionne pour éviter la panne. (The cooling system should have worked to prevent the breakdown.)

Overall, fonctionner in the Conditionnel Passé tense is used to express a hypothetical or unrealized action or situation in the past. It is often accompanied by the conditional “would” in English.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais fonctionné Si j’avais su, j’aurais fonctionné. I would have worked if I had known.
tu aurais fonctionné Tu aurais fonctionné plus tôt. You would have worked earlier.
il aurait fonctionné Il aurait fonctionné avec moi. He would have worked with me.
elle aurait fonctionné Elle aurait fonctionné en silence. She would have worked silently.
on aurait fonctionné On aurait fonctionné ensemble. One would have worked together.
nous aurions fonctionné Nous aurions fonctionné toute la nuit. We would have worked all night.
vous auriez fonctionné Vous auriez fonctionné plus efficacement. You would have worked more efficiently.
ils auraient fonctionné Ils auraient fonctionné sur ce projet. They would have worked on this project.
elles auraient fonctionné Elles auraient fonctionné en équipe. They (female) would have worked as a team.

Other Conjugations for Fonctionner.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fonctionner
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Fonctionner – 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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