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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb desserrer

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The English translation of the French verb desserrer is “to loosen” or “to loosen up”. It is pronounced “day-suh-rare” in its infinitive form.

The word desserrer comes from the Old French word “deserrir”, which means “to release” or “to let go”. It is a combination of the prefix “des-” (meaning “away”) and the verb “serrer” (meaning “to tighten”).

In everyday French, desserrer is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is used to express a hypothetical action in the past. It is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Conditionnel Présent tense, followed by the past participle of the verb desserrer.

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

  1. Si j’avais desserré le nœud, je n’aurais pas perdu mes clés. (If I had loosened the knot, I wouldn’t have lost my keys.)
  2. Elle aurait desserré son écharpe si elle avait eu trop chaud. (She would have loosened her scarf if she had been too hot.)
  3. Nous serions arrivés à l’heure si tu avais desserré le frein à main. (We would have arrived on time if you had released the handbrake.)

Overall, desserrer is a versatile verb that is often used in everyday French to talk about physically loosening or releasing something, as well as metaphorically loosening up or relaxing.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais desserré J’aurais desserré mes chaussures. I would have loosened my shoes.
tu aurais desserré Tu aurais desserré la ceinture. You would have loosened the belt.
il aurait desserré Il aurait desserré son étreinte. He would have loosened his grip.
elle aurait desserré Elle aurait desserré le noeud. She would have loosened the knot.
on aurait desserré On aurait desserré la prise. One would have loosened the grip.
nous aurions desserré Nous aurions desserré les vis. We would have loosened the screws.
vous auriez desserré Vous auriez desserré le frein. You would have loosened the brake.
ils auraient desserré Ils auraient desserré les cordes. They would have loosened the ropes.
elles auraient desserré Elles auraient desserré leurs chaussures. They (female) would have loosened their shoes.

Other Conjugations for Desserrer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb desserrer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Desserrer – 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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