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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dévouer

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The English translation of the French verb dévouer is “to devote.” It is pronounced as “deh-voo-ay.”

Dévouer comes from the Old French word “devouer,” which means “to consecrate” or “to dedicate.” It is derived from the Latin word “devotus,” meaning “dedicated” or “devoted.”

In everyday French, dévouer is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a past hypothetical action or event. It is formed by using the conditional form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” and the past participle of dévouer.

Here are three simple examples of dévouer in the Conditionnel Passé tense:

  1. Si j’avais eu plus de temps, je t’aurais dévoué toute ma vie. (If I had had more time, I would have devoted my whole life to you.)
  2. Elle se serait dévouée pour sa famille, même dans les moments les plus difficiles. (She would have devoted herself to her family, even in the most difficult moments.)
  3. Nous aurions dévoué nos efforts pour aider les personnes dans le besoin. (We would have devoted our efforts to help people in need.)

In these examples, dévouer is used to express a hypothetical action in the past that did not actually happen. It conveys a strong sense of dedication and commitment to someone or something.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais dévoué Si j’avais su, je t’aurais dévoué. I would have devoted myself to you.
tu aurais dévoué Tu aurais dévoué plus de temps. You would have devoted more time.
il aurait dévoué Il aurait dévoué sa vie à sa passion. He would have devoted his life to his passion.
elle aurait dévoué Elle aurait dévoué toutes ses énergies. She would have devoted all of her energies.
on aurait dévoué On aurait dévoué notre journée à l’aide humanitaire. One would have devoted our day to humanitarian aid.
nous aurions dévoué Nous aurions dévoué notre temps et nos ressources. We would have devoted our time and resources.
vous auriez dévoué Vous auriez dévoué vos vies au service des autres. You would have devoted your lives to serving others.
ils auraient dévoué Ils auraient dévoué leurs efforts à la réalisation de leur rêve. They would have devoted their efforts to achieving their dream.
elles auraient dévoué Elles auraient dévoué leur vie à leur famille. They (female) would have devoted their lives to their family.

Other Conjugations for Dévouer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dévouer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Dévouer – 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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