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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb esclaffer

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The English translation of the French verb esclaffer is “to burst out laughing.” The infinitive form, esclaffer, is pronounced “es-klah-fay.”

The word esclaffer comes from the Old French word “esclafier,” meaning to break or shatter. Over time, the meaning evolved to refer to the breaking or shattering of one’s composure or reserve, particularly in the form of laughter.

In everyday French, esclaffer is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses hypothetical or future actions that would have happened in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb avoir in the Conditionnel Présent tense, followed by the past participle of the verb.

Here are three examples of esclaffer in the Conditionnel Passé tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais gagné à la loterie, je me serais esclaffé de joie. (If I had won the lottery, I would have burst out laughing with joy.)
  2. Tu aurais dû voir sa tête quand il a vu son gâteau d’anniversaire, il se serait esclaffé. (You should have seen his face when he saw his birthday cake, he would have burst out laughing.)
  3. Nous nous serions esclaffés en regardant cette comédie. (We would have burst out laughing while watching this comedy.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais esclaffé Si tu m’avais vu, j’aurais esclaffé. If you had seen me, I would have guffawed.
tu aurais esclaffé Tu aurais esclaffé aussi. You would have laughed too.
il aurait esclaffé Il aurait esclaffé de cette blague. He would have laughed at that joke.
elle aurait esclaffé Elle aurait esclaffé avec nous. She would have laughed with us.
on aurait esclaffé On aurait esclaffé en entendant ça. We would have laughed upon hearing that.
nous aurions esclaffé Nous aurions esclaffé toute la soirée. We would have laughed all night.
vous auriez esclaffé Vous auriez esclaffé de leurs bêtises. You would have laughed at their foolishness.
ils auraient esclaffé Ils auraient esclaffé ensemble. They would have laughed together.
elles auraient esclaffé Elles auraient esclaffé de joie. They (female) would have laughed with joy.

Other Conjugations for Esclaffer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb esclaffer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Esclaffer – 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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