How to use the Present Conditional in French

The French conditional present, or le conditionnel présent, allows you to explain what would happen in a particular situation. You can also use it to express a wish, give advice, make a polite request or report information that has not been confirmed. In English, it often corresponds to “would”, “could” or “should”.

The formation is relatively straightforward: take the stem of the future tense and add the endings of the imparfait. This guide explains each step and shows you how to use the French conditional present in natural sentences. It is particularly useful in French conversation lessons, where you can practise making requests, discussing imaginary situations and expressing yourself more tactfully.

how to use the present conditional in french

1. How to Form the Conditional Present in French

The conditional present combines:

Future stem + imparfait endings
-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient

These endings are the same for every verb. If you would like to review how moods and tenses work together, read my overview of the main French tenses you need to know.

1.1 Regular verbs in French conditional

First, form the present conditional by combining the future stem with the endings of the imparfait: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.

For most verbs ending in -er or -ir, use the complete infinitive as the stem and add the imparfait endings:

parler → je parlerais (I would speak)

finir → nous finirions (we would finish)

regarder → vous regarderiez (you would watch)

For verbs ending in -re, remove the final -e before adding the ending:

vendre → je vendrais (I would sell)

attendre → ils attendraient (they would wait)

prendre → tu prendrais (you would take)

Here are two complete examples:

Subject	REGARDER
Je	regarderais
Tu	regarderais
Il/Elle/On	regarderait
Nous	regarderions
Vous	regarderiez
Ils/Elles	regarderaient

Subject	SE LEVER
Je	me lèverais
Tu	te lèverais
Il/Elle/On	se lèverait
Nous	nous nous lèverions
Vous	vous vous lèveriez
Ils/Elles	se lèveraient

If you would also like to review when this tense is used, read my guide to choosing between the imparfait and passé composé.

Pronunciation note: the endings -ais, -ait and -aient are pronounced in the same way. The endings -ions and -iez have distinct sounds.

1.2 Irregular Verbs in the Conditional Present

Irregular conditional stems are the same as those used for the future simple. You can review them in my guide to the futur simple and futur proche. Once you know the stem, simply add the regular conditional endings.

INFINITIVE	CONDITIONAL	TRANSLATION
aller	j’irais	I would go
avoir	j’aurais	I would have
courir	je courrais	I would run
devoir	je devrais	I would be obliged to
envoyer	j’enverrais	I would send
être	je serais	I would be
faire	je ferais	I would do
falloir	il faudrait	it would be necessary
mourir	je mourrais	I would die
obtenir	j’obtiendrais	I would obtain
pleuvoir	il pleuvrait	it would rain
pouvoir	je pourrais	I would be able
recevoir	je recevrais	I would receive
savoir	je saurais	I would know
tenir	je tiendrais	I would hold
venir	je viendrais	I would come
voir	je verrais	I would see
vouloir	je voudrais	I would want

To review these forms independently, you can also use the Bescherelle.

1.3 Conditional Present or Future Simple?

The future simple and the conditional present use the same stem, which can make them easy to confuse. Their endings and meanings are different:

Tense	Formation	Example	Meaning
Future simple	future stem + -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont	Je partirai demain.	I will leave tomorrow.
Conditional present	future stem + -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient	Je partirais si je pouvais.	I would leave if I could.

Compare these pairs:

Je voyagerai en France l’année prochaine. (I will travel to France next year).
Je voyagerais davantage si j’avais le temps. (I would travel more if I had time).
Nous viendrons demain. (We will come tomorrow).
Nous viendrions si nous étions disponibles. (We would come if we were available).

Ask yourself whether the action is presented as a future event or as something dependent on an imagined condition.

2. When Do We Use the Conditional Present?

The conditional is not limited to sentences with si. It appears in many everyday situations, from asking questions politely in French and ordering in a café to giving advice or discussing an imagined future.

2.1 Making a polite request in French

We use the conditional to soften requests and offers. Verbs such as vouloir and pouvoir often appear in the conditional to make questions more polite, especially in shops and restaurants. For more examples, explore these useful French phrases at a restaurant.

Compare:

Je veux un verre d’eau = I want a glass of water (a bit rude)
Je voudrais un verre d’eau = I would like a glass of water

Vous pouvez m’aider = Can you help me ? (just neutral)
Vous pourriez m’aider = Could you help ? (more polite)

Avez-vous des pains au chocolat = Do you have chocolate croissants ?
Auriez-vous des pains au chocolat = Would you have chocolate croissants ?

2.2 Giving Advice

Use devoir in the conditional to say what someone should or should not do. The expression faire mieux de is another common way to give stronger advice :

Tu ne devrais pas aller si souvent au McDonalds : You shouldn’t go to McDonalds so often
Vous feriez mieux d’économiser : It would be wise for you to save
A ta place, j’emménagerais dans un autre quartier moins bruyant : If I were you I would move in to another area less noisy

2.3 Expressing Wishes and Imaginary Situations

The conditional can express a wish, a dream or an imagined situation. Verbs such as aimer, vouloir and préférer frequently appear in this use :

Nous habiterions à Tahiti et nous pécherions toute la journée : We would live in Tahiti and fish all day (it’s a dream)
Je préférerais changer de métier : I would prefer to change job

2.4 Reporting Unconfirmed Information

The conditional is often used in journalism to indicate that information has been reported but not officially confirmed. It allows the speaker or writer to remain cautious.

Le president arriverait demain matin au Caire = The president would arrive tomorrow morning in Cairo (not yet confirmed)

This is sometimes called the journalistic conditional. It does not necessarily express a condition; instead, it signals uncertainty about the source or accuracy of the information.

2.5 Describing the Result of a Hypothetical Condition

In a hypothetical sentence about the present or future, use the imparfait after si and the conditional present in the result clause:

Si + imparfait → conditional present

Si je gagnais au loto, je ferais le tour du monde. (If I won the lottery, I would travel around the world).
J’irais le voir si j’avais assez de temps. (I would go and see him if I had enough time).
Si nous habitions plus près, nous nous verrions plus souvent. (If we lived closer, we would see each other more often).

The order of the two clauses can change, but the tenses remain the same.

Important: do not place the conditional directly after si in this structure.

Correct: Si j’avais le temps, je viendrais.
Incorrect: Si j’aurais le temps, je viendrais.

You can explore the different possible combinations in my complete guide to French conditional sentences with si.

2.6 Expressing the Future from a Past Viewpoint

The conditional can describe an event that was still in the future at a particular moment in the past. In English, this often corresponds to would.

Elle dit qu’elle viendra. (She says that she will come).
Elle a dit qu’elle viendrait. (She said that she would come).
Je sais qu’il réussira. (I know that he will succeed).
Je savais qu’il réussirait. (I knew that he would succeed).

In these examples, the future simple becomes the conditional because the reporting verb moves from the present to the past.

Use the French Conditional with Confidence

The French conditional present is essential for expressing wishes, giving advice, making polite requests and discussing hypothetical situations. Remember its basic formation: use the future stem with the endings of the imparfait.

Pay particular attention to sentences with si: the si clause takes the imparfait, while the result clause takes the conditional present. With regular practice, these structures will become easier to recognise and use in conversation.

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