How to use the Present Conditional
If you’ve been to France or have been watching a few French TV shows, you’ve surely encountered le conditionnel (conditional).
- Est-ce que je pourrais avoir un café s’il vous plait ?
- Aimeriez-vous commander un apéritif ?
- Pourriez-vous m’aider à trouver cette boulangerie ?
In these examples, conditionnel enables you to express a suggestion or make a request. It is less direct and more polite than the imperative or the present. The verbs ‘pouvoir’, ‘vouloir’, and ‘devoir’ are often found in the conditional to diminish the strength of a command.
We are going to see when you can use the conditionnel present and how to form it.


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 |
When do we use the conditionnel present ?
1 – Politeness
We use le conditionnel to make a request less brutal
- 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 – Advice
You can use le conditionnel with DEVOIR and FAIRE MIEUX
- Tu ne devrais pas aller si souvent au McDonalds = You shouldn’t go to McDonalds so often
- A ta place, j’emménagerais dans un autre quartier moins bruyant = If I were you I would move in to another area less noisy
3 – Fantasy
- Nous habiterions à Tahiti et nous pécherions toute la journée = We would live in Tahiti and would go fishing all day long
(It’s just a dream at the moment, not the reality)

4 – Possibility / Uncertainty
We use le conditionnel a lot in the medias.
- Le president arriverait demain matin au Caire = The president would arrive tomorrow morning in Cairo (not yet confirmed, it may be delayed)
5 – Hypothetical Event
With Si + Imparfait > Conditionnel
- Si je gagnais au loto, je ferais un tour du monde = If I won the lottery, I’d go around the world
- J’irais le voir si j’avais assez de temps = I’d go to see him if I had the time
6 – Suggestion
Pourquoi est-ce que + conditionnel négative
- Pourquoi est-ce ne nous partirions pas faire du ski ?
- Pourquoi ne prendrions-nous pas aussi des pains aux raisins ?

How do we form the conditionnel present ?
It is formed with the stem of the verb to the futur simple and the endings of the imparfait.
– ais, – ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient
REGULAR Verbs
PERSON | Verb REGARDER |
Je | regarderais |
Tu | regarderais |
Il/Elle/On | regarderait |
Nous | regarderions |
Vous | regarderiez |
Ils/Elles | regarderaient |
PERSON | Verb 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 |
Note : -ais, -ait and -aient are pronounced exactly the same
IRREGULAR Verbs
Would you like to review the future tense or the imparfait ? Feel free to browse more articles in my blog or get in touch !