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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb exhaler

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The English translation of the French verb exhaler is “to exhale.” It is pronounced as “egz-ah-lay” in its infinitive form.

The word exhaler comes from the Latin word “exhalare,” meaning “to breathe out.” It was first used in French in the 16th century.

In everyday French, the verb exhaler is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or unreal action in the past. It is formed by using the conditional form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of exhaler.

Example 1: Si j’avais su, j’aurais exhalé un soupir de soulagement.
English translation: If I had known, I would have exhaled a sigh of relief.

Example 2: Elle serait sortie de la pièce en exhalant un profond souffle.
English translation: She would have left the room while exhaling a deep breath.

Example 3: S’il avait réussi l’examen, il aurait exhalé un cri de joie.
English translation: If he had passed the exam, he would have let out a cry of joy.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais exhalé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais exhalé. I would have exhaled to you.
tu aurais exhalé Tu aurais exhalé plus vite. You would have exhaled faster.
il aurait exhalé Il aurait exhalé de la fumée. He would have exhaled smoke.
elle aurait exhalé Elle aurait exhalé un soupir. She would have exhaled a sigh.
on aurait exhalé On aurait exhalé de la vapeur. One would have exhaled steam.
nous aurions exhalé Nous aurions exhalé ensemble. We would have exhaled together.
vous auriez exhalé Vous auriez exhalé en silence. You would have exhaled in silence.
ils auraient exhalé Ils auraient exhalé leur colère. They would have exhaled their anger.
elles auraient exhalé Elles auraient exhalé leur parfum. They (female) would have exhaled their perfume.

Other Conjugations for Exhaler.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb exhaler
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Exhaler – 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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