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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déborder

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The English translation of the French verb déborder is “to overflow” or “to spill over.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-bor-day.”

Déborder comes from the French prefix “dé-” which means “out” or “beyond” and the verb “border” which means “to border” or “to enclose.” This verb is most often used in everyday French in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which corresponds to the English “would have + past participle.”

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Si j’avais cuisiné plus, le plat n’aurait pas débordé. (If I had cooked more, the dish wouldn’t have overflowed.)
  2. Nous aurions dû vider la piscine avant qu’elle ne déborde. (We should have emptied the pool before it spilled over.)
  3. Si vous aviez fermé le robinet, la baignoire ne se serait pas débordée. (If you had closed the tap, the bathtub wouldn’t have overflowed.)

These examples show how déborder can be used in different contexts, such as in cooking, filling a pool, or using a bathtub. In each case, it conveys the idea of something overflowing or spilling over.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais débordé Si j’avais plus de temps, j’aurais débordé. If I had more time, I would have overflowed.
tu aurais débordé Tu aurais débordé d’énergie. You would have overflowed with energy.
il aurait débordé Il aurait débordé de joie. He would have overflowed with joy.
elle aurait débordé Elle aurait débordé d’idées. She would have overflowed with ideas.
on aurait débordé On aurait débordé de nourriture. One would have overflowed with food.
nous aurions débordé Nous aurions débordé de créativité. We would have overflowed with creativity.
vous auriez débordé Vous auriez débordé de gentillesse. You would have overflowed with kindness.
ils auraient débordé Ils auraient débordé de courage. They would have overflowed with courage.
elles auraient débordé Elles auraient débordé d’émotions. They (female) would have overflowed with emotions.

Other Conjugations for Déborder.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déborder
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Déborder – 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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