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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gesticuler

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The English translation of the French verb gesticuler is “to gesticulate.” It is pronounced as zhess-tee-kew-lay.

The word gesticuler comes from the Latin word “gesticulare,” meaning “to gesture.” It entered the French language during the 15th century and has been used ever since.

In everyday French, gesticuler is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or unreal action in the past. It is formed by using the conditional form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of the verb.

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

  1. Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais gesticulé davantage pendant mon discours. (If I had had more time, I would have gesticulated more during my speech.)
  2. Vous auriez gesticulé comme un fou si vous aviez vu ce que j’ai vu. (You would have gesticulated like a madman if you had seen what I saw.)
  3. Elle aurait gesticulé avec enthousiasme si elle avait compris la blague. (She would have gesticulated with enthusiasm if she had understood the joke.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais gesticulé Si j’étais stressé, j’aurais gesticulé. If I were stressed, I would have gestured.
tu aurais gesticulé Tu aurais gesticulé en classe. You would have gestured in class.
il aurait gesticulé Il aurait gesticulé en parlant. He would have gestured while speaking.
elle aurait gesticulé Elle aurait gesticulé en dansant. She would have gestured while dancing.
on aurait gesticulé On aurait gesticulé lors de la présentation. We would have gestured during the presentation.
nous aurions gesticulé Nous aurions gesticulé en public. We would have gestured in public.
vous auriez gesticulé Vous auriez gesticulé pendant le match. You would have gestured during the game.
ils auraient gesticulé Ils auraient gesticulé pendant la réunion. They would have gestured during the meeting.
elles auraient gesticulé Elles auraient gesticulé en parlant. They (female) would have gestured while speaking.

Other Conjugations for Gesticuler.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gesticuler
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Gesticuler – 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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