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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dériveter

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The English translation of the French verb dériveter is “to unfasten” or “to detach.” It is pronounced “day-ree-vet-ay.”

Derived from the verb “riveter,” which means “to rivet,” dériveter is a compound verb that includes the prefix “de,” which often indicates a reversal of action. It can also be derived from the Latin word “retro,” meaning “back,” and “vitiare,” meaning “to impair.” This suggests that dériveter means to undo or reverse the action of riveting, or to detach something that has been firmly fastened.

In everyday French, dériveter is most commonly used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb avoir or être in the Conditionnel Présent tense, followed by the past participle of dériveter (dériveté).

Here are three examples of dériveter used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’aurais dériveté les pièces métalliques si j’avais eu le bon outil.
    (I would have unfastened the metal parts if I had had the right tool.)

  2. Tu serais dériveté le bois avant de le couper.
    (You would have detached the wood before cutting it.)

  3. Ils auraient dériveté le bateau pour le réparer.
    (They would have unfastened the boat to repair it.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais dériveté Si j’avais le temps, j’aurais dériveté plus. I would have driven more if I had the time.
tu aurais dériveté Tu aurais dériveté plus lentement. You would have driven slower.
il aurait dériveté Il aurait dériveté sur la route principale. He would have driven on the main road.
elle aurait dériveté Elle aurait dériveté en suivant les panneaux. She would have driven following the signs.
on aurait dériveté On aurait dériveté sur l’autoroute. One would have driven on the highway.
nous aurions dériveté Nous aurions dériveté ensemble. We would have driven together.
vous auriez dériveté Vous auriez dériveté jusqu’à la destination. You would have driven to the destination.
ils auraient dériveté Ils auraient dériveté sur les petites routes. They would have driven on the back roads.
elles auraient dériveté Elles auraient dériveté vers la montagne. They (female) would have driven towards the mountains.

Other Conjugations for Dériveter.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dériveter
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Dériveter – 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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