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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gabouiller

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The English translation of the French verb gabouiller is “to dribble” or “to slobber.” It is pronounced as [ga.bu.je], with the stress on the second syllable.

Gabouiller comes from the French word “gabouil,” which means saliva or spittle. It is most often used in everyday French in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical or possible action in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations, are:

  • Si tu avais mangé moins vite, tu n’aurais pas gabouillé partout. (If you had eaten more slowly, you wouldn’t have dribbled everywhere.)
  • Je me serais lavé les mains après avoir mangé pour ne pas gabouiller sur mon livre. (I would have washed my hands after eating so as not to slobber on my book.)
  • Elle aurait dû mettre une serviette autour de son cou pour éviter de gabouiller sur sa chemise blanche. (She should have put a napkin around her neck to avoid dribbling on her white shirt.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais gabouillé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais gabouillé. I would have splattered you.
tu aurais gabouillé Tu aurais gabouillé tout le papier. You would have doodled all over the paper.
il aurait gabouillé Il aurait gabouillé sur le sol. He would have scribbled on the ground.
elle aurait gabouillé Elle aurait gabouillé sur la toile. She would have painted on the canvas.
on aurait gabouillé On aurait gabouillé partout. One would have splashed everywhere.
nous aurions gabouillé Nous aurions gabouillé ensemble. We would have made a mess together.
vous auriez gabouillé Vous auriez gabouillé avec nous. You would have doodled with us.
ils auraient gabouillé Ils auraient gabouillé sur les murs. They would have scribbled on the walls.
elles auraient gabouillé Elles auraient gabouillé sur le tableau. They (female) would have scribbled on the board.

Other Conjugations for Gabouiller.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gabouiller
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Gabouiller – 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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