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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb forer

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The English translation of the French verb forer is “to predict” or “to forecast.” The infinitive form of forer is pronounced as “foh-ray.”

The word forer comes from the Latin word “praevius” which means “going before” or “leading the way.” It entered the French language in the 13th century.

In everyday French, forer is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense to express a prediction or forecast about something that would have happened in the past. It is similar to the English construction of “would have + past participle.”

Here are three simple examples of forer in the Conditionnel Passé tense with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais suivi tes conseils, j’aurais foré le trou plus profondément. (If I had followed your advice, I would have drilled the hole deeper.)
  2. Il aurait foré son premier puits en 2010 s’il avait eu plus de fonds. (He would have drilled his first well in 2010 if he had had more funds.)
  3. Nous aurions foré un nouveau puits si la demande en eau avait été plus élevée. (We would have drilled a new well if the demand for water had been higher.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais foré Si j’avais su, je t’aurais foré. I would have drilled you.
tu aurais foré Tu aurais foré plus tôt. You would have drilled earlier.
il aurait foré Il aurait foré le puits. He would have drilled the well.
elle aurait foré Elle aurait foré la terre. She would have drilled the ground.
on aurait foré On aurait foré plus profondément. One would have drilled deeper.
nous aurions foré Nous aurions foré avec précision. We would have drilled precisely.
vous auriez foré Vous auriez foré avec soin. You would have drilled carefully.
ils auraient foré Ils auraient foré des trous. They would have drilled holes.
elles auraient foré Elles auraient foré le sol. They (female) would have drilled the ground.

Other Conjugations for Forer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb forer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Forer – 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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