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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détailler

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The English translation of the French verb détailler is “to detail” or “to give details.” The infinitive form of détailler is pronounced as “day-tie-yay.”

Détailler comes from the French word “détail,” which means “detail.” It is derived from the Latin word “detalium,” which means “a list.” Détailler is most commonly used in its past conditional tense, or Conditionnel Passé, in everyday French.

Three simple examples of détailler in the Conditionnel Passé tense are:

  1. Si j’avais le temps, je vous aurais détaillé mon projet. (If I had time, I would have detailed my project to you.)
  2. Tu aurais dû détailler ton argumentation pour la rendre plus convaincante. (You should have detailed your argument to make it more convincing.)
  3. Ils auraient mieux compris si on leur avait détaillé les étapes à suivre. (They would have understood better if we had detailed the steps to follow to them.)

In these examples, détailler is used to express a past action that could have happened if certain conditions were met. It is often used in formal or professional settings, such as in business meetings or academic presentations, to provide more in-depth information or explanation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais détaillé Si j’avais su, j’aurais détaillé. I would have detailed.
tu aurais détaillé Tu aurais détaillé plus tôt. You would have detailed earlier.
il aurait détaillé Il aurait détaillé ses méthodes. He would have detailed his methods.
elle aurait détaillé Elle aurait détaillé son plan. She would have detailed her plan.
on aurait détaillé On aurait détaillé la procédure. One would have detailed the procedure.
nous aurions détaillé Nous aurions détaillé toutes les étapes. We would have detailed all the steps.
vous auriez détaillé Vous auriez détaillé vos idées. You would have detailed your ideas.
ils auraient détaillé Ils auraient détaillé les problèmes. They would have detailed the problems.
elles auraient détaillé Elles auraient détaillé les instructions. They (female) would have detailed the instructions.

Other Conjugations for Détailler.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détailler
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Détailler – 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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