Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adouber

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb adouber

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The English translation of the French verb adouber is “to dub” or “to knight.” It is pronounced as “ah-doo-bay.”

Adouber comes from the Latin word ad + dubitare, meaning “to arm” or “to equip.” It was first used in the 12th century in feudal societies, where a knight was dubbed or equipped with his weapons and armor by a lord or king.

In modern French, the verb adouber is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical or unrealized action in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the conditional tense, followed by the past participle of adouber.

Here are three examples of adouber used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais été adoubé par le roi, je serais devenu un chevalier renommé. (If I had been dubbed by the king, I would have become a renowned knight.)

  2. Elle aurait adoubé son fils en tant que chevalier, mais il a choisi une autre voie. (She would have knighted her son, but he chose a different path.)

  3. Nous aurions adoubé notre fille à l’âge de 18 ans, comme le veut la tradition familiale. (We would have dubbed our daughter at the age of 18, as per family tradition.)

Table of the Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of adouber

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais adoubé Si j’avais eu le pouvoir, je t’aurais adoubé. If I had the power, I would have knighted you.
tu aurais adoubé Tu aurais adoubé ton fils. You would have knighted your son.
il aurait adoubé Il aurait adoubé son chevalier. He would have dubbed his knight.
elle aurait adoubé Elle aurait adoubé sa fille. She would have knighted her daughter.
on aurait adoubé On aurait adoubé un nouveau roi. One would have crowned a new king.
nous aurions adoubé Nous aurions adoubé nos alliés. We would have knighted our allies.
vous auriez adoubé Vous auriez adoubé vos guerriers. You would have knighted your warriors.
ils auraient adoubé Ils auraient adoubé leurs serviteurs. They would have knighted their servants.
elles auraient adoubé Elles auraient adoubé leurs filles. They (female) would have knighted their daughters.

Other Conjugations for Adouber.

    

    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb adouber
     

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adouber
     

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adouber
     

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adouber
     

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adouber
     

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adouber
     

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adouber
     

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adouber

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adouber

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adouber

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adouber
     

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adouber

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adouber
     

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adouber
     

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adouber  (this article)

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adouber

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adouber


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Adouber – About the French Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense

The French “Conditionnel Passé” is a compound tense used to express hypothetical or unreal actions in the past. It is formed by combining the conditional of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” and the past participle of the main verb.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

Start with the conditional of the auxiliary verb: For most verbs, use “aurais” (for “avoir”) or “serais” (for “être”) as the conditional form. 

With “avoir”: j’aurais, tu aurais, il/elle/on aurait, nous aurions, vous auriez, ils/elles auraient. 
With “être”: je serais, tu serais, il/elle/on serait, nous serions, vous seriez, ils/elles seraient. 

Add the past participle of the main verb to this conditional form. 
For example, if you want to say “I would have done,” you would use “j’aurais fait.” If you want to say “She would have gone,” you would use “elle serait allée.”

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Expressing Unreal Past Scenarios

The Conditionnel Passé is often used to talk about actions that did not happen in the past, but you are speculating about what would have occurred if they had. It’s a way to discuss hypothetical situations in the past. 

Si j’avais su, je t’aurais aidé. (If I had known, I would have helped you.)
Il serait venu s’il avait eu le temps. (He would have come if he had had the time.) 

Polite Requests or Suggestions

It can be used to make polite requests or suggestions in the past. 

Pourriez-vous m’aider, s’il vous plaît ? (Could you have helped me, please?) 

Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty

It can convey doubt or uncertainty regarding past events.

Il aurait peut-être oublié notre rendez-vous. (He might have forgotten our appointment.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Conditional Present

You can use the Conditionnel Passé in combination with the conditional present to describe past actions that were hypothetical at the time they were spoken about. J’aurais aimé que tu m’appelles hier. (I would have liked you to call me yesterday.) 

Indicative Past Tenses

You might use the Conditionnel Passé alongside indicative past tenses like the passé composé to contrast hypothetical and real past events. Il est venu hier, mais s’il avait pu, il serait venu la semaine dernière. (He came yesterday, but if he could have, he would have come last week.) 

Conditional Future

In some cases, you can use the Conditionnel Passé in combination with the conditional future to discuss unreal past events that could have consequences in the future. Si j’avais réussi mon examen, j’aurais un meilleur travail. (If I had passed my exam, I would have a better job.)

Summary

In summary, the Conditionnel Passé is used to express hypothetical or unreal actions in the past. It is often used in conjunction with other tenses to convey various nuances in French, allowing speakers to discuss imaginary past scenarios, make polite requests, or express doubt about past events.

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