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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb broder

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The English translation of the French verb broder is “to embroider.” The infinitive form of broder is pronounced “broh-day.”

The language origin of broder can be traced back to the Old French word “brod,” meaning “embroidered cloth.” It is derived from the Old High German word “brosd,” meaning “needlework.”

In everyday French, broder is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or unreal action in the past. It is formed by using the conditional form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of broder.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais brodé une nappe pour la fête. (If I had had more time, I would have embroidered a tablecloth for the party.)
  2. Nous aurions brodé nos initiales sur les mouchoirs si nous avions pensé à les prendre. (We would have embroidered our initials on the handkerchiefs if we had thought to bring them.)
  3. Elle aurait brodé un motif de fleurs sur sa robe de mariée si elle en avait eu le temps. (She would have embroidered a flower design on her wedding dress if she had had time.)

In these examples, the Conditionnel Passé tense is used to express a situation or action that did not actually happen in the past. The verb broder is used to describe the unrealized action of embroidering. The English translations also use the conditional tense to convey the same meaning.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais brodé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais brodé. I would have embroidered for you.
tu aurais brodé Tu aurais brodé cette robe. You would have embroidered this dress.
il aurait brodé Il aurait brodé un coussin. He would have embroidered a cushion.
elle aurait brodé Elle aurait brodé pour son bébé. She would have embroidered for her baby.
on aurait brodé On aurait brodé des motifs. One would have embroidered patterns.
nous aurions brodé Nous aurions brodé ensemble. We would have embroidered together.
vous auriez brodé Vous auriez brodé avec elle. You would have embroidered with her.
ils auraient brodé Ils auraient brodé des cadeaux. They would have embroidered gifts.
elles auraient brodé Elles auraient brodé des serviettes. They (female) would have embroidered towels.

Other Conjugations for Broder.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb broder
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Broder – 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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