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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débrailler

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The English translation of the French verb débrailler is “to dishevel” or “to unbutton.” It is pronounced as “day-bray-yay.”

Débrailler comes from the French word “brailler,” which means “to cry” or “to bawl.” The prefix “dé-” can indicate a reversal or undoing of the action. Therefore, débrailler can be understood as “to un-cry” or “to unbutton.”

In everyday French, débrailler is most commonly used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is used to express conditional or hypothetical actions in the past. It is formed with the conditional form of the auxiliary verb avoir or être, followed by the past participle of débrailler (débraillé).

Three simple examples of débrailler in the Conditionnel Passé tense are:

  1. Si j’avais débraillé ma chemise, j’aurais été renvoyé du travail. (If I had unbuttoned my shirt, I would have been fired from my job.)
  2. Tu aurais débraillé tes cheveux si tu avais couru plus vite. (You would have disheveled your hair if you had run faster.)
  3. Elle se serait débraillée en dansant toute la nuit. (She would have become disheveled while dancing all night.)

Overall, débrailler is a versatile verb that can be used in various tenses and forms to convey the idea of disheveling or unbuttoning. In the Conditionnel Passé tense, it is often used in conditional or hypothetical situations to describe actions that could have happened in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais débraillé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais débraillé. I would have unbuttoned you.
tu aurais débraillé Tu aurais débraillé plus tôt. You would have unbuttoned earlier.
il aurait débraillé Il aurait débraillé sa chemise. He would have unbuttoned his shirt.
elle aurait débraillé Elle aurait débraillé sa robe. She would have unbuttoned her dress.
on aurait débraillé On aurait débraillé nos vestes. One would have unbuttoned our jackets.
nous aurions débraillé Nous aurions débraillé rapidement. We would have quickly unbuttoned.
vous auriez débraillé Vous auriez débraillé avec nous. You would have unbuttoned with us.
ils auraient débraillé Ils auraient débraillé en public. They would have unbuttoned in public.
elles auraient débraillé Elles auraient débraillé leurs chemisiers. They (female) would have unbuttoned their blouses.

Other Conjugations for Débrailler.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrailler
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Débrailler – 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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