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Conjugate pouvoir in the conditional past in French = could have (Le Conditionnel Passé)

Written by Qualified French Expert Aurélie Drouard HKH, Licence d'anglais LLCE
Last updated: 2023-09-06
8 questions
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Learn how to conjugate POUVOIR (could have) in Le Conditionnel Passé in French:

 

J'aurais pu être un grand artiste.I could have been a great artist.

Tu n'aurais pas pu venir de toute façon !You couldn't have come anyway!

Elle aurait pu appeler !She could have called!

Nous aurions pu vous écrire plus tôt, c'est vrai.We could have written to you earlier, that's true.

Vous auriez pu nous prévenir.You could have warned us.

Ils n'auraient jamais pu comprendre tes raisons.They could never have understood your reasons.

 

Conjugating pouvoir in Le Conditionnel Passé is easy:

Le Conditionnel Présent of avoir + pu (past participle of pouvoir) + infinitive

  

Notice the difference between the English and French:

  • in English you use the past participle form of the verb (been, called, warned)
  • in French we use in Le Conditionnel Passé of pouvoir + the verb infinitive (être, appeler, prévenir) .
 
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Examples and resources

Nous aurions pu vous écrire plus tôt, c'est vrai.We could have written to you earlier, that's true.
Ils n'auraient jamais pu comprendre tes raisons.They could never have understood your reasons.
Tu n'aurais pas pu venir de toute façon !You couldn't have come anyway!
Elle aurait pu appeler !She could have called!
J'aurais pu être un grand artiste.I could have been a great artist.
Vous auriez pu nous prévenir.You could have warned us.
I'll be right with you...