Si + plus-que-parfait → conditionnel passé
Si j'avais su, je serais venu
To talk about impossible past situations (things that didn't happen, and their imagined results), French uses si + plus-que-parfait.
The pattern
| si + … | main clause |
|---|---|
| plus-que-parfait | conditionnel passé |
- Si j'avais su, je serais venu.If I had known, I would have come.
- Si tu avais travaillé, tu aurais réussi.If you had worked, you would have passed.
- S'il n'avait pas plu, nous serions allés à la plage.If it hadn't rained, we would have gone to the beach.
Mixed conditionals
When a past condition has a present result, use the present conditional in the main clause:
- Si j'avais pris mon parapluie, je ne serais pas mouillé maintenant.If I had taken my umbrella, I wouldn't be wet now.
- Si tu avais mangé, tu n'aurais pas faim.If you had eaten, you wouldn't be hungry.
And the other way round (present condition, past result):
- Si j'étais plus courageux, je lui aurais parlé.If I were braver, I would have spoken to him.
Summary of si clauses
| si + | main clause | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| présent | futur / présent / impératif | real possibility |
| imparfait | conditionnel présent | hypothetical present/future |
| plus-que-parfait | conditionnel passé | impossible past |
Never use the conditional after si meaning "if": si j'aurais su is a very common mistake, even among French speakers.
Regret alone
- Si seulement j'avais su !If only I had known!
Practice
- Si tu m'avais appelé, je _____.Options: serais venu · viendrais eu · suis venu
Show the answer
serais venu
- Si nous _____ plus tôt, nous aurions eu le train.Options: étions partis · serions partis · partions
Show the answer
étions partis
- If she had studied, she would have passed.Options: Si elle avait étudié, elle aurait réussi. · Si elle aurait étudié, elle aurait réussi. · Si elle avait étudié, elle réussirait eu.
Show the answer
Si elle avait étudié, elle aurait réussi.
- Si j'_____ su, je ne serais pas venu.
Show the answer
avais
In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days until you've mastered it.