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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détricoter

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The English translation of the French verb détricoter is “to unravel” or “to unpick.” It is pronounced as “day-tree-koh-tee.”

Détricoter is derived from the verb “tricoter” which means “to knit” and the prefix “dé-” which indicates a reversal or undoing. It is most often used in everyday French in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or possible action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of détricoter in the Conditionnel Passé tense with their respective English translations:

1) Si j’avais su, j’aurais détricoté mon pull avant qu’il ne rétrécisse.
Translation: If I had known, I would have unraveled my sweater before it shrank.

2) Il aurait mieux valu détricoter le projet avant de le présenter au comité.
Translation: It would have been better to unpick the project before presenting it to the committee.

3) Vous auriez détricoté votre histoire si vous aviez su la vérité.
Translation: You would have unraveled your story if you had known the truth.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais détricoté Si j’avais su, j’aurais détricoté ce pull. If I had known, I would have unravelled this sweater.
tu aurais détricoté Tu aurais détricoté tes chaussettes. You would have unravelled your socks.
il aurait détricoté Il aurait détricoté son écharpe. He would have unravelled his scarf.
elle aurait détricoté Elle aurait détricoté sa robe. She would have unravelled her dress.
on aurait détricoté On aurait détricoté les mailles. One would have unravelled the stitches.
nous aurions détricoté Nous aurions détricoté en équipe. We would have unravelled as a team.
vous auriez détricoté Vous auriez détricoté le fil. You would have unravelled the yarn.
ils auraient détricoté Ils auraient détricoté les coutures. They would have unravelled the seams.
elles auraient détricoté Elles auraient détricoté leurs pulls. They (female) would have unravelled their sweaters.

Other Conjugations for Détricoter.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détricoter
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Détricoter – 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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