This is the 110th most frequent French word.
aurait
"Would have" or "could have" (third-person singular form of the verb "avoir" in the conditional tense).
Here, 'aurait' is used as an auxiliary verb for the conditional perfect tense, indicating a hypothetical action that did not occur.
Il aurait aimé venir, mais il était occupé.
He would have liked to come, but he was busy.
Here, 'aurait' indicates reported speech in the conditional mood, which suggests a statement that is not confirmed but claimed by others.
Selon les témoins, il aurait dit quelque chose de surprenant.
According to the witnesses, he allegedly said something surprising.
In this sentence, 'aurait' is paired with 'pu' to form a conditional perfect meaning 'could have,' highlighting a missed opportunity.