Le conditionnel passé
The conditionnel passé means “would have done.” It is used for hypothetical past events, regrets, reproaches, and: in journalism: to signal unverified information.
avoir / être in conditionnel présent + past participle
The rule
Same structure as the passé composé, but use avoir or être in the conditionnel présent. Same être verbs apply, same agreement rules as passé composé.
Conditionnel présent of avoir
j'aurais / tu aurais / il aurait / nous aurions / vous auriez / ils auraient
Conditionnel présent of être
je serais / tu serais / il serait / nous serions / vous seriez / ils seraient
With avoir — parler
| j' | aurais parlé | I would have spoken |
| tu | aurais parlé | you would have spoken |
| il / elle / on | aurait parlé | he would have spoken |
| nous | aurions parlé | we would have spoken |
| vous | auriez parlé | you would have spoken |
| ils / elles | auraient parlé | they would have spoken |
With être — partir
| je | serais parti(e) | I would have left |
| tu | serais parti(e) | you would have left |
| il / elle | serait parti(e) | he / she would have left |
| nous | serions parti(e)s | we would have left |
| vous | seriez parti(e)(s) | you would have left |
| ils / elles | seraient parti(e)s | they would have left |
When to use the conditionnel passé
Hypothetical past: what would have happened
Si j'avais étudié, j'aurais réussi.
If I had studied, I would have passed. The plus-que-parfait sets the condition; the conditionnel passé gives the result. This is the most common use.
Regret or reproach
Tu aurais pu me le dire ! · J'aurais dû partir plus tôt.
You could have told me! / I should have left earlier. 'Aurais pu' and 'aurais dû' express missed opportunity or mild blame.
Polite past hypothetical
J'aurais aimé vous voir plus tôt.
I would have liked to see you sooner. More formal/polished than 'j'aurais voulu'. Used in professional correspondence.
Unconfirmed news (journalistic conditional)
Le président aurait signé l'accord hier soir.
The president reportedly signed the agreement last night. The conditionnel passé signals the information is not yet confirmed: very common in French news writing.
Si-clause tense sequence — all three types
| Si-clause | Result clause | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| si + présent | futur simple | Si tu travailles, tu réussiras. (real possibility) | |
| si + imparfait | conditionnel présent | Si tu travaillais, tu réussirais. (hypothetical present) | |
| si + plus-que-parfait | conditionnel passé | Si tu avais travaillé, tu aurais réussi. (hypothetical past) |