The conditionnel passé is French's "would have" tense. Where the conditionnel présent expresses what would happen under some hypothesis, the conditionnel passé expresses what would have happened — the action that didn't take place, the path not taken, the outcome that almost was. It also carries the news of what someone said would be finished, the sigh of we should have known, and the polite hindsight of I would have preferred.
This page covers the formation rule (one auxiliary, one past participle, agreement just like the passé composé), the four core uses (past counterfactual, regret and reproach, future-in-the-past completed, hypothetical hindsight), and the trap that catches every English speaker: the auxiliary is itself in the conditionnel, not the imparfait.
Formation: one rule, two auxiliaries
Conditionnel passé = conditionnel of avoir or être + past participle.
That is the rule. The auxiliary is exactly the same auxiliary you would use for the passé composé of that verb (avoir for most verbs, être for the dozen-or-so motion verbs and all pronominal verbs). Only the auxiliary changes mood: instead of j'ai fait (passé composé) or j'avais fait (plus-que-parfait), you put the auxiliary into the conditionnel: j'aurais fait — "I would have done."
| Tense | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| passé composé | j'ai fait | I did / I have done |
| plus-que-parfait | j'avais fait | I had done |
| conditionnel passé | j'aurais fait | I would have done |
The pattern is fully transparent: take the auxiliary in whichever mood you need. Once you can recognize the conditionnel of avoir and être, the conditionnel passé of every verb in the language is at your fingertips.
Full paradigms with avoir
Most French verbs take avoir as their auxiliary in compound tenses. The conditionnel passé is no exception.
Sample paradigm: faire (to do, to make)
| Person | Form | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| j' | aurais fait | /ʒoʁɛ fɛ/ | I would have done |
| tu | aurais fait | /ty oʁɛ fɛ/ | you would have done |
| il / elle / on | aurait fait | /il oʁɛ fɛ/ | he / she / we would have done |
| nous | aurions fait | /nu zoʁjɔ̃ fɛ/ | we would have done |
| vous | auriez fait | /vu zoʁje fɛ/ | you would have done |
| ils / elles | auraient fait | /il zoʁɛ fɛ/ | they would have done |
More avoir paradigms
| Verb | 1sg | 2sg | 3sg | 1pl | 2pl | 3pl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| manger (to eat) | j'aurais mangé | tu aurais mangé | il aurait mangé | nous aurions mangé | vous auriez mangé | ils auraient mangé |
| finir (to finish) | j'aurais fini | tu aurais fini | il aurait fini | nous aurions fini | vous auriez fini | ils auraient fini |
| prendre (to take) | j'aurais pris | tu aurais pris | il aurait pris | nous aurions pris | vous auriez pris | ils auraient pris |
| voir (to see) | j'aurais vu | tu aurais vu | il aurait vu | nous aurions vu | vous auriez vu | ils auraient vu |
| dire (to say) | j'aurais dit | tu aurais dit | il aurait dit | nous aurions dit | vous auriez dit | ils auraient dit |
| parler (to speak) | j'aurais parlé | tu aurais parlé | il aurait parlé | nous aurions parlé | vous auriez parlé | ils auraient parlé |
J'aurais aimé venir, mais j'avais déjà pris d'autres engagements.
I would have liked to come, but I had already made other commitments.
Tu aurais vu sa réaction, c'était impayable.
You should have seen his reaction — it was priceless.
On aurait pris le train si on avait su que les routes étaient bloquées.
We would have taken the train if we'd known the roads were blocked.
Full paradigms with être
The verbs that take être as their auxiliary are the same set as in the passé composé: pronominal verbs (se laver, se reposer, s'asseoir) and the small group of intransitive motion / change-of-state verbs commonly memorized with the mnemonic DR & MRS VANDERTRAMP — aller, venir, partir, arriver, naître, mourir, rester, tomber, monter, descendre, entrer, sortir, retourner, passer (in some uses), devenir, revenir.
With être, the past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject.
Sample paradigm: partir (to leave)
| Person | Form (m. / f.) | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | serais parti / serais partie | I would have left |
| tu | serais parti / serais partie | you would have left |
| il | serait parti | he would have left |
| elle | serait partie | she would have left |
| on | serait parti(e)(s) | we would have left (agreement varies) |
| nous | serions partis / serions parties | we would have left |
| vous | seriez parti / seriez partie / seriez partis / seriez parties | you would have left |
| ils | seraient partis | they would have left (m. or mixed) |
| elles | seraient parties | they would have left (all-female) |
More être paradigms (3sg masculine)
| Verb | 3sg masculine | 3sg feminine | 3pl masculine | 3pl feminine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| aller (to go) | il serait allé | elle serait allée | ils seraient allés | elles seraient allées |
| venir (to come) | il serait venu | elle serait venue | ils seraient venus | elles seraient venues |
| rester (to stay) | il serait resté | elle serait restée | ils seraient restés | elles seraient restées |
| revenir (to come back) | il serait revenu | elle serait revenue | ils seraient revenus | elles seraient revenues |
| mourir (to die) | il serait mort | elle serait morte | ils seraient morts | elles seraient mortes |
| naître (to be born) | il serait né | elle serait née | ils seraient nés | elles seraient nées |
Elle serait restée plus longtemps si son train n'était pas parti à 18h.
She would have stayed longer if her train hadn't left at 6pm.
Nous serions allés au marché plus tôt, mais il pleuvait des cordes.
We would have gone to the market earlier, but it was pouring rain.
Mes grand-parents seraient morts dans cet accident s'ils n'avaient pas raté leur train.
My grandparents would have died in that accident if they hadn't missed their train.
Pronominal verbs
Pronominal verbs (those with se) take être as their auxiliary, with the standard agreement rules. The reflexive pronoun sits between the subject pronoun and the auxiliary.
| Person | Form (se reposer, m./f.) | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | me serais reposé / me serais reposée | I would have rested |
| tu | te serais reposé / te serais reposée | you would have rested |
| il / elle | se serait reposé / se serait reposée | he / she would have rested |
| nous | nous serions reposé(e)s | we would have rested |
| vous | vous seriez reposé(e)(s) | you would have rested |
| ils / elles | se seraient reposés / reposées | they would have rested |
Je me serais reposée tout l'après-midi si on m'avait laissée tranquille.
I would have rested all afternoon if they'd left me alone. (feminine speaker)
On se serait perdus sans GPS, c'est sûr.
We would have gotten lost without GPS, that's for sure.
Past-participle agreement: same rules as the passé composé
Agreement in the conditionnel passé works exactly as in the passé composé:
- With être: the past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number.
- With avoir: the past participle agrees with a preceding direct object (COD antéposé) — never with the subject.
- Pronominal verbs: the participle usually agrees with the reflexive pronoun if it functions as the direct object; no agreement when it's an indirect object (e.g., elles se sont parlé — no agreement, because se is the indirect object of parler à).
Les lettres que j'aurais écrites sans cette interruption seraient déjà postées.
The letters I would have written without this interruption would already be in the mail. (avoir: agreement with preceding direct object 'que' = les lettres)
Elles se seraient lavées plus tôt si elles avaient eu de l'eau chaude.
They would have washed themselves earlier if they'd had hot water. (pronominal: 'se' is direct object → agreement)
Elles se seraient parlé pendant des heures.
They would have spoken to each other for hours. (pronominal: 'se' is indirect object 'parler à' → no agreement)
The four uses of the conditionnel passé
1. Past counterfactual (Type 3 conditional)
The single most frequent use. Pair the conditionnel passé in the main clause with the plus-que-parfait in the si-clause. This expresses a hypothesis about the past that did not happen.
Si j'avais étudié, j'aurais réussi l'examen.
If I had studied, I would have passed the exam. (I didn't study; I didn't pass.)
Si tu m'avais prévenu, je serais venu te chercher à la gare.
If you'd warned me, I would have come to pick you up at the station.
Si on avait quitté Paris à temps, on n'aurait pas raté l'avion.
If we'd left Paris in time, we wouldn't have missed the flight.
The pairing is as fixed as Type 2 (si + imparfait + conditionnel présent). See Conditionnel in si-clauses for the full conditional system.
2. Reproach and regret
Without an explicit si-clause, the conditionnel passé alone often carries the meaning of "should have," "could have," "would have wanted to" — actions that didn't happen and that someone regrets or reproaches.
Tu aurais dû me dire que tu étais malade.
You should have told me you were sick.
Vous auriez pu nous prévenir avant de partir.
You could have warned us before leaving.
J'aurais voulu être à votre place ce soir-là.
I would have wanted to be in your shoes that evening.
This use is so frequent and so distinct that it deserves its own page. See Conditionnel passé for regret and reproach.
3. Future-in-the-past completed (reported speech)
When the conditionnel présent reports a future ("he said he would come"), the conditionnel passé reports a future-perfect — an action that the speaker projected as completed by some later moment.
Il a dit qu'il aurait fini son rapport avant midi.
He said he would have finished his report before noon. (Direct: 'J'aurai fini avant midi.')
Le journaliste pensait que le ministre aurait quitté son poste avant les élections.
The journalist thought the minister would have left his post before the elections.
This is the futur antérieur dans le passé — direct-speech futur antérieur (j'aurai fini) shifts to the conditionnel passé (j'aurais fini) under a past matrix verb.
4. Hypothetical past with no overt si-clause
Sometimes the si-clause is omitted and only implied — replaced by an adverbial like à ta place ("in your place"), sans cela ("without that"), or autrement ("otherwise"). The conditionnel passé carries the counterfactual flavor on its own.
À ta place, j'aurais accepté l'offre tout de suite.
In your shoes, I would have accepted the offer right away.
Sans toi, je n'aurais jamais fini ce projet à temps.
Without you, I would never have finished this project on time.
Autrement, on serait restés à la maison toute la soirée.
Otherwise, we would have stayed home all evening.
Negation and the conditionnel passé
The two parts of negation (ne, pas / jamais / plus) wrap around the auxiliary, not the past participle. The participle stays after the pas.
Je n'aurais pas accepté cette mission si j'avais lu le contrat attentivement.
I wouldn't have accepted this assignment if I'd read the contract carefully.
Ils ne seraient jamais venus s'ils avaient su qu'il pleuvait.
They would never have come if they'd known it was raining.
On n'aurait rien dit si vous nous l'aviez demandé.
We wouldn't have said anything if you'd asked us.
A note on register: literary alternatives
In older or highly literary French, the conditionnel passé deuxième forme exists — built from the subjonctif plus-que-parfait (j'eusse fait, il eût fait). In modern French, this form survives only in literary prose, the most formal essays, and a few set phrases. Learners should recognize it but not produce it.
Il eût été plus sage de partir avant la nuit.
It would have been wiser to leave before nightfall. (literary: equivalent to 'il aurait été')
On eût dit qu'elle pleurait.
One would have said she was crying. (literary: equivalent to 'on aurait dit')
English correspondence: would have, could have, should have
| English | French (conditionnel passé) |
|---|---|
| I would have gone | Je serais allé(e) |
| I would have done | J'aurais fait |
| You should have called | Tu aurais dû appeler |
| You could have helped | Tu aurais pu aider |
| I would have liked | J'aurais aimé / J'aurais voulu |
| I would have preferred | J'aurais préféré |
For "should have" and "could have," the lexical verb is devoir or pouvoir, in the conditionnel passé, followed by an infinitive.
J'aurais préféré que tu me préviennes plus tôt.
I would have preferred for you to warn me earlier. (note: + subjonctif after que)
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Putting the auxiliary in the imparfait instead of the conditionnel.
❌ Si j'avais su, j'avais accepté.
Wrong: this is plus-que-parfait, not conditionnel passé. The main clause needs aurais accepté.
✅ Si j'avais su, j'aurais accepté.
If I'd known, I would have accepted.
Mistake 2: Forgetting past-participle agreement with être.
❌ Elle serait parti plus tôt.
Wrong: subject is feminine, participle must agree → partie.
✅ Elle serait partie plus tôt.
She would have left earlier.
Mistake 3: Putting the conditionnel passé in the si-clause.
❌ Si j'aurais étudié, j'aurais réussi.
Wrong: si never takes the conditionnel. The si-clause needs the plus-que-parfait.
✅ Si j'avais étudié, j'aurais réussi.
If I'd studied, I would have passed.
Mistake 4: Confusing the conditionnel passé with the plus-que-parfait.
❌ Si tu m'avais appelé, je t'avais répondu.
Wrong: the second clause is the consequence of a hypothesis — needs the conditionnel passé.
✅ Si tu m'avais appelé, je t'aurais répondu.
If you'd called me, I would have answered.
Mistake 5: Wrong auxiliary choice.
❌ Je me suis aurais reposé.
Wrong: pronominal verbs always take être, even in the conditionnel passé.
✅ Je me serais reposé.
I would have rested.
Mistake 6: Forgetting the circumflex on dû.
❌ Tu aurais du venir.
Wrong: the masculine singular past participle of devoir takes a circumflex.
✅ Tu aurais dû venir.
You should have come.
Key takeaways
- Formation: conditionnel of avoir or être
- past participle.
- Auxiliary choice matches the passé composé: avoir for most verbs, être for pronominal verbs and motion verbs.
- Agreement also matches the passé composé: with être, agree with the subject; with avoir, agree only with a preceding direct object.
- Four uses: Type 3 counterfactual (with plus-que-parfait + si), reproach/regret (often without overt si), future-in-the-past completed (in reported speech), and hypothetical past with adverbial substitutes (à ta place, sans cela).
- Negation wraps around the auxiliary: je n'aurais pas fait.
- Literary register has a second form (j'eusse fait) — recognize, don't produce.
- The biggest trap: don't confuse j'avais fait (plus-que-parfait, "I had done") with j'aurais fait (conditionnel passé, "I would have done"). The auxiliary mood is what tells them apart.
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Start learning French→Related Topics
- Le Conditionnel: Overview of the French Conditional MoodA2 — The conditionnel is more than 'would' — it's the polite voice, the hypothetical voice, the future-in-the-past, and the journalistic hedge. One paradigm, six everyday jobs, and a place at the heart of grown-up French.
- Le Conditionnel Présent: Formation et TerminaisonsA2 — How to build the conditionnel for any French verb — futur stem plus imparfait endings. The rule is one line; the pronunciation distinction with the futur (je serai vs je serais) is the trap.
- Conditionnel Passé for Regret and ReproachB1 — The modal triplet aurais dû, aurais pu, aurais voulu — French's standard way to express what someone should have, could have, or would have wanted to do. Learn when each one fits, and how to layer them with si seulement and à ta place.
- Le Conditionnel in Si-Clauses: Type 2, Type 3, and Mixed ConditionalsB1 — How the conditionnel pairs with the imparfait and plus-que-parfait to express counterfactual hypotheses about the present and the past — plus the mixed pattern, the universal English-speaker error to avoid, and the schoolyard rhyme that locks the rule in.
- Plus-que-parfait in Si-Clauses: Past CounterfactualsB1 — The third type of French conditional pairs si + plus-que-parfait with the conditionnel passé to express what would have happened if the past had been different. Past unreal hypotheses about events that didn't actually occur.
- Le Regret et le Contre-factuelB1 — How French uses the conditionnel passé to talk about what should have, could have, or would have happened — the engine of regret and reproach in everyday speech.