Mission: talk about a decision you regret
Past conditional. Say what you should have done, reproach someone gently, and make polite wishes about the past.
FrenchB2 · Regrets and what-ifsAbout 8 min: 3 reading, 5 practiceUpdated
- Form the past conditional with avoir or être and the participle
- Express regret with j'aurais dû and j'aurais aimé
- Make a reproach with tu aurais pu
- Agree the participle as in the passé composé
- Make polite wishes about the past
Regrets and what-ifs: lesson 1 of 4
- B2 · Regrets and what-ifs
- Mission: talk about a decision you regret 8 min
- Mission: imagine how your life could have gone 8 min
- Mission: thank and reassure a friend after an event 8 min
- Mission: plan a project with deadlines 8 min
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Level Level B2 (around the DELF B2 exam). Real French: telling a friend what you regret and what you wish they had done.
What it is
Your mission: your friend Malik asks, « Alors, tu regrettes quelque chose ? » Tell him about one decision you regret (j'aurais dû…), reproach him gently for something he didn't do (tu aurais pu…), and say what you would have liked (j'aurais aimé…). Use tu.
The past conditional (le conditionnel passé) says what would have happened, or what should have happened, but didn't. It is the conditional of avoir or être plus the past participle:
| Subject | with avoir | with être |
|---|---|---|
| je / j' | j'aurais fini | je serais parti(e) |
| tu | tu aurais fini | tu serais parti(e) |
| il / elle / on | il aurait fini | elle serait partie |
| nous | nous aurions fini | nous serions partis |
| vous | vous auriez fini | vous seriez parti(e)(s) |
| ils / elles | ils auraient fini | elles seraient parties |
The choice of auxiliary and the agreement of the participle are exactly those of the passé composé: elle serait venue, nous nous serions trompés. Negation wraps the auxiliary: je n'aurais pas dû.
Three jobs you need now:
| To say… | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a regret about your own act | j'aurais dû + infinitive | J'aurais dû accepter. |
| a reproach to someone | tu aurais pu + infinitive | Tu aurais pu me prévenir. |
| a polite wish about the past | j'aurais aimé / voulu + infinitive | J'aurais aimé te voir. |
Devoir and pouvoir in the past conditional carry the whole feeling: aurais dû = "should have", aurais pu = "could have".
More detail: wishes about someone else, and a news-reporting use
After j'aurais aimé / préféré que + another person, use the subjunctive: j'aurais aimé que tu me préviennes. The past conditional is also the journalist's way of reporting something not yet confirmed: selon la presse, le ministre aurait démissionné (reportedly, the minister has resigned).
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
« Hier, j'… dû t'appeler. » (regret: "I should have called you")
- J'ai dû t'appeler means "I had to call you": no regret
- The future doesn't speak about yesterday
Show answer
aurais. j'aurais dû + infinitive = I should have.
Why it matters
Looking back is a big part of real conversation: what would you do differently? French does it with the past conditional, so a flat je regrette or a repeated j'ai fait une erreur sounds limited. At B2 (the level of the DELF B2), you are expected to handle nuance like regret and reproach without hesitating.
Worked example
Over coffee with Malik:
- Malik: Alors, tu regrettes quelque chose ?
- You: Oui. J'aurais dû accepter ce stage à Lyon. Je n'aurais pas dû attendre si longtemps.
- Malik: C'est vrai que tu hésitais beaucoup.
- You: Et toi, tu aurais pu me prévenir que la date limite approchait !
- Malik: Désolé ! J'aurais pu, oui. Mais je pensais que tu le savais.
- You: Bon. J'aurais aimé que tu m'en parles, c'est tout. Et j'aurais voulu te voir plus souvent, aussi.
- Malik: Moi aussi. On se rattrape ce week-end ?
Real French: in speech the ne of negation often disappears (j'aurais pas dû lui dire ça), but in writing keep it: je n'aurais pas dû. And « J'aurais dû ! » on its own, with a sigh, is a complete reaction.
Common mistake
Using the wrong auxiliary or an infinitive instead of the participle: wrong: j'aurais allé, wrong: je serais fait, wrong: elle aurait partie. The auxiliary follows the passé composé rule: je serais allé(e), j'aurais fait, elle serait partie.
And do not put the present conditional where the past is meant: wrong: je devrais t'appeler hier says "I ought to call you yesterday". For a regret, use j'aurais dû t'appeler.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
"You could have warned me!" Which is right?
- That is a request about now or later, not a reproach about the past
- That states "you were able to", with no reproach
Show answer
Tu aurais pu me prévenir !. tu aurais pu + infinitive = you could have.
Key terms
- le conditionnel passé
- the past conditional
- j'aurais dû
- I should have
- tu aurais pu
- you could have
- j'aurais aimé / voulu
- I would have liked
- regretter
- to regret
- reprocher
- to reproach
- un regret
- a regret
- un reproche
- a reproach
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 8 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| le conditionnel passé | the past conditional |
| j'aurais dû | I should have |
| tu aurais pu | you could have |
| j'aurais aimé / voulu | I would have liked |
| regretter | to regret |
| reprocher | to reproach |
| un regret | a regret |
| un reproche | a reproach |
Practice
Sort it
Present conditional or past conditional?
Je voudrais te parler
a polite request nowShow answer
Present (now or later). a polite request now
J'aurais voulu te parler
it didn't happenShow answer
Past (regret). it didn't happen
Tu pourrais m'aider
asks for help nowShow answer
Present (now or later). asks for help now
Tu aurais pu m'aider
a reproach about the pastShow answer
Past (regret). a reproach about the past
Je serais parti plus tôt
être + participleShow answer
Past (regret). être + participle
Nous irions volontiers
single word, present conditionalShow answer
Present (now or later). single word, present conditional
Recognition drill
Pick the right answer, as fast as you can.
All pairs
Tap a card to turn it over. 7 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| devoir | il aurait dû |
| aller | il serait allé |
| pouvoir | il aurait pu |
| partir | il serait parti |
| vouloir | il aurait voulu |
| faire | il aurait fait |
| venir | il serait venu |
Quick quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
« Nous … avec plaisir à ta fête, mais nous étions à Lyon. » (venir, nous)
- That is the present conditional, but the party is in the past
- Passé composé: it says they did come
- Venir takes être, not avoir
Show answer
serions venus. venir takes être; nous serions venus, with the participle agreeing.
You regret not accepting the job. You say:
- That means "I ought to accept it", now or later
- That means "I had to accept it"
Show answer
J'aurais dû accepter ce poste.. j'aurais dû + infinitive = I should have.
« Elle … plus tôt, mais son train était en retard. » (partir)
- Partir takes être
- Present conditional: the sentence is about the past
Show answer
serait partie. partir takes être; elle serait partie, with the participle agreeing.
Build the sentence
Build "You could have warned me."
Show answer
Tu aurais pu me prévenir.. aurais + pu + infinitive, with the object pronoun before the infinitive.
Practise speaking
Studyfern has no voice tools of its own. To practise out loud, copy this prompt into a voice-capable AI assistant and talk with it.
Mission role-play. You are Malik, my friend, who has just asked me over coffee if I regret anything. Speak naturally but clearly, at level B2, using tu. Start with « Alors, tu regrettes quelque chose ? ». Ask me one question at a time (a decision I regret, something you should have told me, something I would have liked), and wait for my answer. After each of my replies, tell me in English what kind of mistake I made, if any, and let me try again; watch the auxiliary (avoir or être), the agreement and the choice of past conditional over present conditional. The mission is complete when I have said, correctly, a regret with j'aurais dû, a reproach with tu aurais pu, and a wish with j'aurais aimé or j'aurais voulu: then say « Mission accomplie ! » and give me one tip. Keep every reply under 3 sentences.
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In short
- Past conditional = conditional of avoir or être + past participle: j'aurais fini, elle serait partie.
- Auxiliary choice and agreement are the same as in the passé composé.
- J'aurais dû = I should have; tu aurais pu = you could have (a reproach).
- J'aurais aimé / voulu / préféré = I would have liked / preferred; after que, use the subjunctive.
- The present conditional (je devrais, tu pourrais) is about now or later, not used for regrets.
Mastery check
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Check yourself
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Say "I should have said yes."
Show answer
J'aurais dû dire oui.
Which auxiliary does venir take in the past conditional?
Show answer
Être: elle serait venue, ils seraient venus.
Make a reproach: "You could have called me."
Show answer
Tu aurais pu m'appeler.
Further reading
- RFI, Journal en français facile, a free daily news bulletin in simple French.
- TV5MONDE, Apprendre le français, free exercises and clips with answers.
Finished? Mark it done to fill in your leaf on the French map.