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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb branler

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The English translation of the French verb branler is “to shake” or “to wobble.” It is pronounced “brahn-leh.”

The word branler has origins in the Old French word “brandeler,” meaning “to brandish.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe physical movement or instability, such as a shaky or unsteady movement.

In the Conditionnel Passé tense, branler is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the Conditionnel Présent tense followed by the past participle “branlé.”

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

  1. Si j’avais essayé de monter sur cette échelle, je me serais branlé. (If I had tried to climb on this ladder, I would have shaken.)
  2. On se serait beaucoup branlés si on avait pris cette route. (We would have been jolted a lot if we had taken this road.)
  3. Ils auraient été plus prudents s’ils avaient senti le sol se branler. (They would have been more cautious if they had felt the ground shaking.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais branlé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais branlé. I would have jerked you off.
tu aurais branlé Tu aurais branlé plus tôt. You would have jerked off earlier.
il aurait branlé Il aurait branlé du film. He would have jerked off to the movie.
elle aurait branlé Elle aurait branlé à sa mère. She would have jerked off to her mother.
on aurait branlé On aurait branlé de tout ça. One would have jerked off to all of that.
nous aurions branlé Nous aurions branlé en français. We would have jerked off in French.
vous auriez branlé Vous auriez branlé avec eux. You would have jerked off with them.
ils auraient branlé Ils auraient branlé de politique. They would have jerked off to politics.
elles auraient branlé Elles auraient branlé à leurs amis. They (female) would have jerked off to their friends.

Other Conjugations for Branler.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb branler
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Branler – 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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