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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dodeliner

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The English translation of the French verb dodeliner is “to nod.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “doh-duh-lee-nay.”

Dodeliner comes from the verb “dodeler,” which comes from the Old French word “dode,” meaning “foolish” or “simple.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical or unreal past action.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Si j’avais vu le spectacle, j’aurais dodeliné de la tête tout le temps. (If I had seen the show, I would have nodded my head the whole time.)

  2. Mes amis m’ont raconté une blague si drôle que j’aurais dodeliné pendant des heures. (My friends told me such a funny joke that I would have nodded for hours.)

  3. Elle aurait dodeliné de la tête en signe d’approbation si elle avait été d’accord avec moi. (She would have nodded her head in agreement if she had agreed with me.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais dodeliné Si j’avais su, je t’aurais dodeliné. I would have nodded to you.
tu aurais dodeliné Tu aurais dodeliné plus tôt. You would have nodded earlier.
il aurait dodeliné Il aurait dodeliné pendant le discours. He would have nodded during the speech.
elle aurait dodeliné Elle aurait dodeliné en écoutant de la musique. She would have nodded while listening to music.
on aurait dodeliné On aurait dodeliné en signe d’approbation. One would have nodded in approval.
nous aurions dodeliné Nous aurions dodeliné en chantant. We would have nodded while singing.
vous auriez dodeliné Vous auriez dodeliné avec eux. You would have nodded with them.
ils auraient dodeliné Ils auraient dodeliné en écoutant attentivement. They would have nodded while listening attentively.
elles auraient dodeliné Elles auraient dodeliné pendant la réunion. They (female) would have nodded during the meeting.

Other Conjugations for Dodeliner.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dodeliner
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Dodeliner – 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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