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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dénicher

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The English translation of the French verb dénicher is “to find” or “to unearth.” It is pronounced as “dey-nee-shay” in its infinitive form.

Dénicher comes from the Old French word “desnicier,” which means “to take out of the nest.” In everyday French, dénicher is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical action in the past.

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

  1. Si j’avais déniché ce livre hier, je l’aurais acheté. (If I had found this book yesterday, I would have bought it.)
  2. Nous aurions déniché un superbe appartement si nous avions continué à chercher. (We would have found a great apartment if we had kept looking.)
  3. Il aurait déniché un emploi mieux payé s’il avait envoyé son CV plus tôt. (He would have found a higher paying job if he had sent his resume earlier.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais déniché Si j’avais su, je t’aurais déniché. I would have found you.
tu aurais déniché Tu aurais déniché un trésor. You would have discovered a treasure.
il aurait déniché Il aurait déniché un nouvel emploi. He would have landed a new job.
elle aurait déniché Elle aurait déniché une nouvelle robe. She would have found a new dress.
on aurait déniché On aurait déniché une bonne affaire. One would have found a good deal.
nous aurions déniché Nous aurions déniché un endroit tranquille. We would have found a peaceful place.
vous auriez déniché Vous auriez déniché un bel appartement. You would have found a beautiful apartment.
ils auraient déniché Ils auraient déniché une solution. They would have found a solution.
elles auraient déniché Elles auraient déniché un bon restaurant. They (female) would have discovered a good restaurant.

Other Conjugations for Dénicher.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dénicher
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Dénicher – 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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