Mastering the Second Form of French Conditional Perfect

The second form of the French conditional perfect (conditionnel passé deuxième forme) is a literary tense that's equivalent to the more common conditional perfect.

While it's rarely used in spoken French, understanding this tense can significantly enhance your reading comprehension of classic French literature and formal writing.

When to Use This Tense

This tense is primarily found in:

1. Formal written French
2. Classic literature
3. Poetry
4. Some very formal speeches

Structure and Formation

The second form of the conditional perfect is a compound tense, consisting of two parts:

1. The auxiliary verb (avoir or être) in the imperfect subjunctive
2. The past participle of the main verb

Example Conjugations

Let's look at some examples with common verbs:

Donner (to give) - with avoir

• J'eusse donné (I would have given)
• Tu eusses donné
• Il/Elle/On eût donné
• Nous eussions donné
• Vous eussiez donné
• Ils/Elles eussent donné

Sortir (to go out) - with être

• Je fusse sorti(e) (I would have gone out)
• Tu fusses sorti(e)
• Il fût sorti / Elle fût sortie
• Nous fussions sorti(e)s
• Vous fussiez sorti(e)(s)
• Ils fussent sortis / Elles fussent sorties

Comparison with the First Form

The second form is equivalent in meaning to the more common first form of the conditional perfect. For example:

• Second form: "J'eusse aimé vivre à Paris."
• First form: "J'aurais aimé vivre à Paris."

Both mean "I would have liked to live in Paris."

Usage in Si Clauses

This tense is often found in literary si (if) clauses. For example:

"Si vous m'eussiez écouté, nous n'eussions pas eu ce problème." (If you had listened to me, we wouldn't have had this problem.)

Tips for Learners

1. Focus on recognition rather than production
2. Practice by reading classic French literature
3. Use online resources to quiz yourself on identifying this tense

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Confusing it with the pluperfect subjunctive (they're identical in form)
2. Using it in everyday speech (stick to the first form in conversation)
3. Overusing it in your own writing (unless you're aiming for a very formal tone)