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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dégénérer

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The English translation of the French verb dégénérer is “to degenerate.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-zhen-eh-ray.”

Dégénérer comes from the Latin word “degenerare,” which means “to fall from one’s own kind” or “to decline.” It first appeared in French around the 15th century and has since been used in both literal and figurative contexts.

In everyday French, dégénérer is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Conditionnel Présent tense and the past participle of dégénérer.

Here are three examples of dégénérer used in the Conditionnel Passé tense with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais suivi ses conseils, tout cela ne serait pas dégénéré en conflit. (If I had followed his advice, all of this wouldn’t have degenerated into a conflict.)

  2. Ils seraient devenus riches s’ils n’avaient pas laissé leur entreprise dégénérer. (They would have become rich if they hadn’t let their business degenerate.)

  3. Si elle avait continué à s’entraîner régulièrement, elle n’aurait pas vu sa performance dégénérer. (If she had kept training regularly, she wouldn’t have seen her performance degenerate.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais dégénéré Si je n’avais pas arrêté de fumer, j’aurais dégénéré. If I hadn’t quit smoking, I would have deteriorated.
tu aurais dégénéré Tu aurais dégénéré sans leur aide. You would have degenerated without their help.
il aurait dégénéré Il aurait dégénéré s’il avait continué à boire. He would have deteriorated if he had kept drinking.
elle aurait dégénéré Elle aurait dégénéré sans exercice physique. She would have degenerated without physical exercise.
on aurait dégénéré On aurait dégénéré sans un bon régime. One would have deteriorated without a good diet.
nous aurions dégénéré Nous aurions dégénéré sans ces médicaments. We would have deteriorated without these medications.
vous auriez dégénéré Vous auriez dégénéré sans une alimentation équilibrée. You would have degenerated without a balanced diet.
ils auraient dégénéré Ils auraient dégénéré sans une bonne hygiène de vie. They would have deteriorated without a good lifestyle.
elles auraient dégénéré Elles auraient dégénéré sans les bons soins de santé. They (female) would have deteriorated without proper healthcare.

Other Conjugations for Dégénérer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dégénérer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Dégénérer – 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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