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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gommer

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The English translation of the French verb gommer is “to erase” or “to remove.” It is pronounced as “goh-may” in the infinitive form.

The word gommer comes from the Old French word “gomme” meaning “rubber” or “eraser.” It can also be traced back to the Latin word “gummi” meaning “rubber” or “chewing gum.” In everyday French, gommer is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a 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 gommer (gomme + é).

Here are three simple examples of how gommer is used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais gommé mes erreurs, je n’aurais pas été renvoyé. (If I had erased my mistakes, I wouldn’t have been fired.)
  2. Tu aurais mieux fait de gommer tes fautes avant de rendre ta copie. (You should have erased your mistakes before handing in your paper.)
  3. Il aurait gommé le dessin avant de le montrer à sa mère. (He would have erased the drawing before showing it to his mother.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais gommé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais gommé. I would have erased you.
tu aurais gommé Tu aurais gommé plus tôt. You would have erased earlier.
il aurait gommé Il aurait gommé les fautes. He would have erased the mistakes.
elle aurait gommé Elle aurait gommé le tableau. She would have erased the board.
on aurait gommé On aurait gommé les dessins. One would have erased the drawings.
nous aurions gommé Nous aurions gommé en silence. We would have erased in silence.
vous auriez gommé Vous auriez gommé ensemble. You would have erased together.
ils auraient gommé Ils auraient gommé les tâches. They would have erased the tasks.
elles auraient gommé Elles auraient gommé le papier. They (female) would have erased the paper.

Other Conjugations for Gommer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gommer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Gommer – 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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