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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déclaveter

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The English translation of the French verb déclaveter is to unhook or unfasten. It is pronounced “deh-clah-vuh-teh.”

Déclaveter comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” meaning “un” or “de-” and the word “claveter” which means “to nail,” ultimately derived from the Latin word “clavis” meaning “key.” In everyday French, déclaveter is often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is used to talk about a hypothetical past action or event.

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

  1. Si j’avais su comment déclaveter cette porte, je l’aurais fait plus tôt. (If I had known how to unhook this door, I would have done it earlier.)
  2. Tu aurais pu déclaveter cette boîte sans la casser. (You could have unfastened this box without breaking it.)
  3. Il m’aurait demandé de l’aider à déclaveter les planches s’il avait su que j’étais là. (He would have asked me to help him unhook the planks if he had known I was there.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais déclaveté Si j’avais su, je t’aurais déclaveté. I would have unfastened you.
tu aurais déclaveté Tu aurais déclaveté plus tôt. You would have unfastened earlier.
il aurait déclaveté Il aurait déclaveté la porte. He would have unfastened the door.
elle aurait déclaveté Elle aurait déclaveté ses chaussures. She would have unfastened her shoes.
on aurait déclaveté On aurait déclaveté toutes les fenêtres. One would have unfastened all the windows.
nous aurions déclaveté Nous aurions déclaveté nos ceintures. We would have unfastened our seatbelts.
vous auriez déclaveté Vous auriez déclaveté avec eux. You would have unfastened with them.
ils auraient déclaveté Ils auraient déclaveté les serrures. They would have unfastened the locks.
elles auraient déclaveté Elles auraient déclaveté les portes. They (female) would have unfastened the doors.

Other Conjugations for Déclaveter.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déclaveter
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Déclaveter – 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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