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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb brouillonner

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The English translation of brouillonner is “to draft” or “to scribble”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “broo-yoh-nee”.

Brouillonner comes from the French word brouillon, which means “draft” or “rough copy”. It is derived from the Old French word brouillon, which originally referred to a sieve used for sifting flour or grain. Over time, the meaning evolved to include a draft or scribbled version of a written document.

In everyday French, brouillonner is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense to express a past hypothetical or uncertain action. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Si j’avais brouillonné mon discours avant la réunion, j’aurais mieux présenté mes arguments. (If I had drafted my speech before the meeting, I would have presented my arguments better.)

  2. Ils auraient dû brouillonner leur projet avant de le présenter au conseil d’administration. (They should have drafted their project before presenting it to the board of directors.)

  3. Nous serions partis plus tôt si tu n’avais pas brouillonné si longtemps avec tes amis. (We would have left earlier if you hadn’t been scribbling with your friends for so long.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais brouillonné Si j’avais plus de temps, je t’aurais brouillonné un plan. If I had more time, I would have drafted a plan for you.
tu aurais brouillonné Tu aurais brouillonné ton discours. You would have drafted your speech.
il aurait brouillonné Il aurait brouillonné son essai. He would have drafted his essay.
elle aurait brouillonné Elle aurait brouillonné son projet. She would have drafted her project.
on aurait brouillonné On aurait brouillonné un nouveau concept. One would have drafted a new concept.
nous aurions brouillonné Nous aurions brouillonné ensemble. We would have drafted together.
vous auriez brouillonné Vous auriez brouillonné votre lettre. You would have drafted your letter.
ils auraient brouillonné Ils auraient brouillonné leurs idées. They would have drafted their ideas.
elles auraient brouillonné Elles auraient brouillonné leur livre. They (female) would have drafted their book.

Other Conjugations for Brouillonner.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouillonner
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Brouillonner – 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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