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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débrousser

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The English translation of débrousser is “to clear” or “to clear out.” It is pronounced as “day-broo-say.”

The word débrousser comes from the Old French word “desbrosser” which means “to clean up” or “to clear out.” It is derived from the combination of the prefix “de-” meaning “off” and the word “brousse” which refers to thick underbrush or scrubland.

In everyday French, débrousser is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense to express a past action that would have been completed if certain conditions had been met. It is often used to talk about unrealized or hypothetical situations in the past.

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

  1. Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais débroussé le jardin. (If I had had more time, I would have cleared the garden.)

  2. Tu aurais débroussé la salle de bain si tu avais pensé à acheter du nettoyant. (You would have cleared the bathroom if you had remembered to buy cleaner.)

  3. Nous aurions débroussé cette route si la tempête ne l’avait pas endommagée. (We would have cleared this road if the storm hadn’t damaged it.)

In all these examples, débrousser is used to express a past action that did not happen due to certain conditions not being met. It is often accompanied by the conditional verb “avoir” or “être” and the past participle of débrousser, “débroussé.”

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais débroussé Si j’avais eu plus de temps, je t’aurais débroussé. I would have cleared it for you if I had more time.
tu aurais débroussé Tu aurais débroussé le terrain. You would have cleared the land.
il aurait débroussé Il aurait débroussé un chemin. He would have cleared a path.
elle aurait débroussé Elle aurait débroussé la forêt. She would have cleared the forest.
on aurait débroussé On aurait débroussé le jardin. One would have cleared the garden.
nous aurions débroussé Nous aurions débroussé le chemin ensemble. We would have cleared the path together.
vous auriez débroussé Vous auriez débroussé le terrain. You would have cleared the land.
ils auraient débroussé Ils auraient débroussé toute la zone. They would have cleared the whole area.
elles auraient débroussé Elles auraient débroussé la forêt. They (female) would have cleared the forest.

Other Conjugations for Débrousser.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Débrousser – 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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