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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb délecter

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The English translation of the French verb délecter is “to delight” or “to please.” It is pronounced “day-lek-tay” in its infinitive form.

Délecter comes from the Old French word “delitier,” meaning “to please” or “to give pleasure.” It is derived from the Latin word “delectare,” which has the same meaning.

In everyday French, délecter is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a past hypothetical action or situation. It is formed with the auxiliary verb “aurais” followed by the past participle of délecter, “délecté.”

Here are three simple examples of délecter in the Conditionnel Passé tense, with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais su, je t’aurais délecté avec un bon repas. (If I had known, I would have delighted you with a good meal.)
  2. J’aurais délecté mes invités avec des petits fours faits maison. (I would have delighted my guests with homemade hors d’oeuvre.)
  3. Elle aurait été délectée par la vue de ce magnifique paysage. (She would have been delighted by the view of this magnificent landscape.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais délecté Si j’avais su, je me serais délecté. I would have delighted myself.
tu aurais délecté Tu aurais délecté tes papilles. You would have delighted your taste buds.
il aurait délecté Il aurait délecté ses invités. He would have delighted his guests.
elle aurait délecté Elle aurait délecté son palais. She would have delighted her palate.
on aurait délecté On aurait délecté nos sens. One would have delighted our senses.
nous aurions délecté Nous aurions délecté ces plats. We would have delighted in these dishes.
vous auriez délecté Vous auriez délecté vos convives. You would have delighted your guests.
ils auraient délecté Ils auraient délecté leurs amis. They would have delighted their friends.
elles auraient délecté Elles auraient délecté leur repas. They (female) would have delighted their meal.

Other Conjugations for Délecter.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délecter
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Délecter – 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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