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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détériorer

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The English translation of the French verb détériorer is “to deteriorate” or “to damage”. It is pronounced as “day-teh-ree-oh-ray”.

The word détériorer comes from the Latin word “deteriorare” meaning “to worsen” or “to make worse”. In everyday French, it is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is formed by combining the conditional form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” (aurais, aurais, aurait, aurions, auriez, auraient) with the past participle of détériorer (détérioré).

Examples:

  1. Si j’avais suivi vos conseils, je n’aurais pas détérioré mon ordinateur. (If I had followed your advice, I wouldn’t have damaged my computer.)
  2. Elle aurait été très déçue si elle avait vu que j’avais détérioré sa robe. (She would have been very disappointed if she had seen that I had damaged her dress.)
  3. Nous aurions pu éviter cela si vous ne l’aviez pas détérioré. (We could have avoided this if you hadn’t damaged it.)

In these examples, the Conditionnel Passé tense is used to express a past action or event that may have happened differently if certain conditions were met. It is often used to talk about regrets, missed opportunities, or consequences of past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais détérioré Si j’avais su, je l’aurais détérioré. If I had known, I would have damaged it.
tu aurais détérioré Tu aurais détérioré le matériel. You would have damaged the equipment.
il aurait détérioré Il aurait détérioré le mobilier. He would have damaged the furniture.
elle aurait détérioré Elle aurait détérioré la voiture. She would have damaged the car.
on aurait détérioré On aurait détérioré nos relations. One would have damaged our relationship.
nous aurions détérioré Nous aurions détérioré la peinture. We would have damaged the paint.
vous auriez détérioré Vous auriez détérioré vos affaires. You would have damaged your belongings.
ils auraient détérioré Ils auraient détérioré la maison. They would have damaged the house.
elles auraient détérioré Elles auraient détérioré leur amitié. They (female) would have damaged their friendship.

Other Conjugations for Détériorer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détériorer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Détériorer – 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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