Ch 28 · Lesson 15French · Chapter 28 · Lesson 15 · Grammar primer
Should have, could have: j'aurais dû, tu aurais pu
The tense goes on or and the next verb stays an infinitive: . is a duty missed, a chance missed, and the subject turns regret into reproach.
The short version
: the tense goes on
.
Why?Hide
English should have left ends on a participle. French conjugates only and leaves the next verb as an infinitive: , never . always takes , even before or : , never .
: the reproach that removes the excuse
.
Why?Hide
admits a duty missed; only says the chance was there. Aimed at someone else, me often stings more than , because it does not argue about duty. Swap for and a regret becomes a reproach.
Should have in French is plus an infinitive; could have is plus an infinitive. The tense goes on or , and the second verb never moves.
| Pattern | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| should have | | I should have left |
| shouldn't have | | I shouldn't have left |
| could have | | I could have left |
| nobody named | | we should have left |
| the better choice | | I'd have done better to leave |
All of these are the conditional perfect of a modal verb. This is one of the tense's commonest jobs, and the one learners most often get wrong.
The tense goes on devoir
English says should have left and puts a participle at the end. French conjugates only and leaves the main verb as a plain infinitive.
.- I should have left earlier..- You could have told me..- She should have paid attention.
always takes , even when the infinitive after it would take on its own:
.- I should have come. Neverje serais dû venir.
Learn the block whole and hang any infinitive off it:
| Subject | should have | could have |
|---|---|---|
| | |
| | |
| / | | |
| | |
| | |
| / | | |
Dû or pu: duty or chance
The pair splits exactly as and always split.
| Meaning | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| right, not done | . | I should have left. |
| an option | . | I could have left. |
| you had a duty | . | You should have told me. |
| you had a chance | . | You could have told me. |
often stings more than : it does not argue about duty, it just removes the excuse. It is the phrase for small everyday failures, the message never sent, the door not held.
The person turns regret into reproach
Nothing changes but the subject, and the social meaning turns over.
| Subject | French | English |
|---|---|---|
. | I should have been careful. (I'm sorry) | |
. | You should have been careful. (telling off) | |
. | He should have been careful. (judgement) | |
| on | . | We should have been careful. (shared) |
spreads the fault across the room: the mistake is named, and nobody in particular owns it.
Going further: Il aurait fallu: nobody to blame and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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