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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dégrafer

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The English translation of the French verb dégrafer is “to unfasten” or “to unhook.” The infinitive form is pronounced “dey-gra-FEH.”

Dégrafer comes from the French prefix “dé-” meaning “undo” and the verb “agrafer” meaning “to fasten.” It is most often used in everyday French to refer to undoing or releasing something that is fastened or attached.

In the Conditionnel Passé tense, dégrafer is used to talk about actions that would have been undone in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais su, j’aurais dégrafé mon manteau. (If I had known, I would have unfastened my coat.)
  2. Tu aurais dégrafé ta ceinture si tu avais su que le repas serait si copieux. (You would have unfastened your belt if you had known that the meal would be so filling.)
  3. Ils auraient dégrafé leurs chaussures en rentrant à la maison. (They would have unfastened their shoes when they got home).

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais dégrafé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais dégrafé. I would have unbuttoned you.
tu aurais dégrafé Tu aurais dégrafé plus tôt. You would have unbuttoned earlier.
il aurait dégrafé Il aurait dégrafé sa veste. He would have unbuttoned his jacket.
elle aurait dégrafé Elle aurait dégrafé sa robe. She would have unbuttoned her dress.
on aurait dégrafé On aurait dégrafé les chemises. One would have unbuttoned the shirts.
nous aurions dégrafé Nous aurions dégrafé ensemble. We would have unbuttoned together.
vous auriez dégrafé Vous auriez dégrafé les manteaux. You would have unbuttoned the coats.
ils auraient dégrafé Ils auraient dégrafé leurs pantalons. They would have unbuttoned their pants.
elles auraient dégrafé Elles auraient dégrafé les jupes. They (female) would have unbuttoned their skirts.

Other Conjugations for Dégrafer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dégrafer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Dégrafer – 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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