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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépraver

Get the Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) tense conjugation of dépraver. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb dépraver is “to corrupt” or “to deprave.” It is pronounced as “day-prah-ver” in its infinitive form.

Dépraver comes from the Latin verb “depravare,” meaning “to distort” or “to pervert.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and was originally used in a legal context to refer to the act of falsifying evidence. Over time, its meaning broadened to include the corrupting or perverting of someone’s morals or behavior.

In everyday French, dépraver is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical or possible action that would have happened in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais écouté ces mauvaises influences, j’aurais été dépravé. (If I had listened to those bad influences, I would have been corrupted.)

  2. Les enfants seraient dépravés si leurs parents ne leur inculquaient pas de bonnes valeurs. (Children would be corrupted if their parents did not instill good values in them.)

  3. Il aurait été dépravé par ses mauvaises fréquentations s’il n’avait pas eu une éducation solide. (He would have been corrupted by his bad company if he had not had a strong upbringing.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais dépravé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais dépravé. I would have corrupted you.
tu aurais dépravé Tu aurais dépravé plus tôt. You would have corrupted earlier.
il aurait dépravé Il aurait dépravé sa réputation. He would have tarnished his reputation.
elle aurait dépravé Elle aurait dépravé son âme. She would have corrupted her soul.
on aurait dépravé On aurait dépravé la jeunesse. One would have corrupted the youth.
nous aurions dépravé Nous aurions dépravé nos valeurs. We would have corrupted our values.
vous auriez dépravé Vous auriez dépravé vos enfants. You would have corrupted your children.
ils auraient dépravé Ils auraient dépravé la société. They would have corrupted society.
elles auraient dépravé Elles auraient dépravé leur esprit. They (female) would have corrupted their minds.

Other Conjugations for Dépraver.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépraver
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required! 

  

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the dépraver Conditionnel Passé tense conjugation!

Dépraver – 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.

Want More?

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb dépraver. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts