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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défâcher

Get the Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) tense conjugation of défâcher. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb défâcher is “to undo” or “to unfasten.” The infinitive form, défâcher, is pronounced as “deh-fah-shay.”

Défâcher comes from the Old French word “desfâchier,” which comes from the Latin “dis-,” meaning “away,” and “facere,” meaning “to do.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or unreal action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Conditionnel Passé tense:

  1. Si j’avais pu, je t’aurais défâché de ta ceinture. (If I could have, I would have unfastened your belt.)
  2. Nous aurions défâché les cordes pour te libérer, mais c’était trop tard. (We would have undone the ropes to free you, but it was too late.)
  3. Tu aurais dû défâcher tes lacets avant de courir. (You should have untied your shoelaces before running.)

In these examples, défâcher is used to express a hypothetical action that did not actually happen in the past. It is often followed by an action that is in the past tense, such as “je t’aurais défâché” (I would have unfastened for you) or “tu aurais dû défâcher” (You should have unfastened).

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais défâché Si j’avais su, je t’aurais défâché. I would have untied you.
tu aurais défâché Tu aurais défâché plus tôt. You would have untied earlier.
il aurait défâché Il aurait défâché les cordes. He would have untied the ropes.
elle aurait défâché Elle aurait défâché ses cheveux. She would have untied her hair.
on aurait défâché On aurait défâché tous les noeuds. One would have untied all the knots.
nous aurions défâché Nous aurions défâché la tente. We would have untied the tent.
vous auriez défâché Vous auriez défâché ensemble. You would have untied together.
ils auraient défâché Ils auraient défâché le bateau. They would have untied the boat.
elles auraient défâché Elles auraient défâché leurs chaussures. They (female) would have untied their shoes.

Other Conjugations for Défâcher.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défâcher
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required! 

  

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the défâcher Conditionnel Passé tense conjugation!

Défâcher – 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.

Want More?

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb défâcher. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts