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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb expliciter

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The English translation of the French verb expliciter is “to make explicit” or “to clarify.” It is pronounced as “eks-plee-see-tey” in its infinitive form.

Expliciter comes from the French word “explicite,” which is derived from the Latin word “explicitus,” meaning “unfolded” or “revealed.” It is most often used in everyday French to express the idea of making something clear or explicit, particularly in written language.

In the Conditionnel Passé tense, expliciter is used to express a hypothetical action that would have been made explicit in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage:

  1. Si tu avais lu ce livre, tu aurais compris. (If you had read this book, you would have understood.)
  2. Nous aurions dû expliciter nos intentions lors de la réunion. (We should have made our intentions clear during the meeting.)
  3. Vous auriez expliqué la situation aux clients avant qu’ils ne se plaignent. (You would have clarified the situation to the clients before they complained.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais explicité Si j’avais su, je t’aurais explicité. I would have explained to you.
tu aurais explicité Tu aurais explicité plus tôt. You would have explained earlier.
il aurait explicité Il aurait explicité la loi. He would have explained the law.
elle aurait explicité Elle aurait explicité son point de vue. She would have explained her point of view.
on aurait explicité On aurait explicité les détails. One would have explained the details.
nous aurions explicité Nous aurions explicité ensemble. We would have explained together.
vous auriez explicité Vous auriez explicité cette situation. You would have explained this situation.
ils auraient explicité Ils auraient explicité leur choix. They would have explained their choice.
elles auraient explicité Elles auraient explicité leurs opinions. They (female) would have explained their opinions.

Other Conjugations for Expliciter.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb expliciter
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Expliciter – 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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