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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déclencher

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The English translation of déclencher is “to trigger” or “to set off.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-clawn-shay.”

Déclencher comes from the French word “clencher,” meaning “to clench.” The prefix “dé-” adds the meaning of “to unclench” or “to loosen,” giving déclencher the overall meaning of “to trigger” or “to set off.”

In everyday French, déclencher is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is the conditional past tense. This tense is used to describe a hypothetical action or event that would have happened in the past if certain conditions had been met.

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

  1. Si j’avais appuyé sur ce bouton, j’aurais déclenché l’alarme. (If I had pressed this button, I would have triggered the alarm.)

  2. Nous aurions déclenché une réaction en chaîne si nous avions mis en place notre plan. (We would have set off a chain reaction if we had implemented our plan.)

  3. Tu aurais déclenché une crise si tu avais dit la vérité. (You would have triggered a crisis if you had told the truth.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais déclenché Si j’étais arrivé plus tôt, j’aurais déclenché l’alarme. If I had arrived earlier, I would have set off the alarm.
tu aurais déclenché Tu aurais déclenché une révolution. You would have sparked a revolution.
il aurait déclenché Il aurait déclenché un incendie. He would have started a fire.
elle aurait déclenché Elle aurait déclenché un conflit. She would have triggered a conflict.
on aurait déclenché On aurait déclenché une catastrophe. One would have caused a disaster.
nous aurions déclenché Nous aurions déclenché une enquête. We would have triggered an investigation.
vous auriez déclenché Vous auriez déclenché une panique. You would have caused a panic.
ils auraient déclenché Ils auraient déclenché une guerre. They would have started a war.
elles auraient déclenché Elles auraient déclenché une révolution. They (female) would have sparked a revolution.

Other Conjugations for Déclencher.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déclencher
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Déclencher – 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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