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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dégrader

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The English translation of the French verb dégrader is “to degrade” or “to deteriorate.” It is pronounced “deh-grah-deh” in its infinitive form.

Dégrader comes from the Latin word “degradare” which means “to reduce in rank or status.” It is used in everyday French to describe the process of something becoming worse or declining in quality or value.

In the Conditionnel Passé tense, dégrader is used to talk about a hypothetical or possible past action or situation. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Conditionnel Présent tense, followed by the past participle of dégrader.

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

  1. Si j’avais laissé ma voiture sous la pluie, elle se serait dégradée. (If I had left my car in the rain, it would have deteriorated.)
  2. Nous aurions dû entretenir l’immeuble, il ne se serait pas autant dégradé. (We should have maintained the building, it wouldn’t have deteriorated so much.)
  3. Si tu étais resté malade, ta santé se serait dégradée. (If you had stayed sick, your health would have deteriorated.)

In these examples, dégrader is used to describe the potential deterioration of a car, a building, and someone’s health. It is often used in discussions about maintenance, care, and prevention of decline.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais dégradé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais dégradé. I would have degraded you.
tu aurais dégradé Tu aurais dégradé plus tôt. You would have degraded earlier.
il aurait dégradé Il aurait dégradé sa réputation. He would have damaged his reputation.
elle aurait dégradé Elle aurait dégradé sa robe. She would have ruined her dress.
on aurait dégradé On aurait dégradé l’environnement. One would have degraded the environment.
nous aurions dégradé Nous aurions dégradé la ville. We would have degraded the city.
vous auriez dégradé Vous auriez dégradé votre image. You would have tarnished your image.
ils auraient dégradé Ils auraient dégradé leur quartier. They would have damaged their neighborhood.
elles auraient dégradé Elles auraient dégradé leur amitié. They (female) would have ruined their friendship.

Other Conjugations for Dégrader.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dégrader
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Dégrader – 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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