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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb garder

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The English translation of the French verb garder is “to keep” or “to guard.” It is pronounced as “gar-day” in its infinitive form.

The verb garder comes from the Latin word “guardare” which means “to protect” or “to keep watch.” It entered the French language in the 12th century.

In everyday French, the verb garder is commonly used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is used to express a possibility or hypothetical action in the past. It is formed by using the conditional form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” and the past participle of the main verb.

Here are three examples of how garder is used in the Conditionnel Passé tense:

  1. Si j’avais gardé mes clés, je n’aurais pas dû appeler un serrurier.
    (If I had kept my keys, I wouldn’t have had to call a locksmith.)

  2. Nous aurions gardé le chien si nous avions su qu’il était perdu.
    (We would have kept the dog if we had known he was lost.)

  3. Ils auraient gardé leur calme s’ils avaient suivi mes instructions.
    (They would have kept their calm if they had followed my instructions.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais gardé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais gardé. I would have kept you.
tu aurais gardé Tu aurais gardé plus longtemps. You would have kept longer.
il aurait gardé Il aurait gardé la clé. He would have kept the key.
elle aurait gardé Elle aurait gardé le secret. She would have kept the secret.
on aurait gardé On aurait gardé nos habitudes. One would have kept our habits.
nous aurions gardé Nous aurions gardé notre maison. We would have kept our house.
vous auriez gardé Vous auriez gardé le contrat. You would have kept the contract.
ils auraient gardé Ils auraient gardé leurs affaires. They would have kept their belongings.
elles auraient gardé Elles auraient gardé le silence. They (female) would have kept silence.

Other Conjugations for Garder.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb garder
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Garder – 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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