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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb développer

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The English translation of the French verb développer is “to develop.” The infinitive form, développer, is pronounced as [de-ve-lo-pe].

The word développer comes from the Latin word “disvoluppare” which means “to unwrap” or “to unfold.” In French, it has the same meaning as in English – to bring forth, grow, or expand something.

In everyday French, développer is often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses the idea of a hypothetical or possible action that would have been done in the past. It is formed by using the conditional form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of développer.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais développé ce projet. (If I had had more time, I would have developed this project.)
  2. Tu serais devenue une grande artiste si tu avais développé ton talent. (You would have become a great artist if you had developed your talent.)
  3. Il aurait développé ses compétences professionnelles s’il avait continué ses études. (He would have developed his professional skills if he had continued his studies.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais développé Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais développé une nouvelle application. If I had more time, I would have developed a new app.
tu aurais développé Tu aurais développé tes compétences en programmation. You would have developed your programming skills.
il aurait développé Il aurait développé une passion pour l’informatique. He would have developed a passion for computer science.
elle aurait développé Elle aurait développé un nouveau produit pour l’entreprise. She would have developed a new product for the company.
on aurait développé On aurait développé des logiciels innovants. One would have developed innovative software.
nous aurions développé Nous aurions développé une application pour faciliter notre quotidien. We would have developed an app to make our daily lives easier.
vous auriez développé Vous auriez développé une stratégie marketing efficace. You would have developed an effective marketing strategy.
ils auraient développé Ils auraient développé de nouvelles compétences en informatique. They would have developed new computer skills.
elles auraient développé Elles auraient développé une nouvelle application ensemble. They (female) would have developed a new app together.

Other Conjugations for Développer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb développer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Développer – 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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