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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fonder

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The English translation of the French verb fonder is “to found” or “to establish.” It is pronounced as “faw(n)-day” in the infinitive form.

The word “fonder” comes from the Latin word “fundare,” meaning “to lay the foundation.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical or future action that is dependent on a certain condition. This tense is formed by using the conditional form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Here are three simple examples of “fonder” in the Conditionnel Passé tense and their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais eu plus d’argent, j’aurais fondé ma propre entreprise. (If I had had more money, I would have founded my own company.)

  2. Nous aurions fondé une association caritative si nous avions eu assez de temps. (We would have founded a charity organization if we had had enough time.)

  3. Tu aurais fondé une famille heureuse si tu avais rencontré la bonne personne. (You would have founded a happy family if you had met the right person.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais fondé Si j’avais eu plus d’argent, j’aurais fondé une entreprise. If I had more money, I would have founded a company.
tu aurais fondé Tu aurais fondé ta propre famille. You would have started your own family.
il aurait fondé Il aurait fondé une organisation à but non-lucratif. He would have founded a non-profit organization.
elle aurait fondé Elle aurait fondé une école de langues. She would have founded a language school.
on aurait fondé On aurait fondé un mouvement pour l’environnement. We would have started a movement for the environment.
nous aurions fondé Nous aurions fondé une association caritative. We would have established a charity organization.
vous auriez fondé Vous auriez fondé une entreprise ensemble. You would have started a business together.
ils auraient fondé Ils auraient fondé une ville nouvelle. They would have founded a new city.
elles auraient fondé Elles auraient fondé une entreprise familiale. They (female) would have started a family business.

Other Conjugations for Fonder.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fonder
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Fonder – 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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