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 ?

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. It is also very useful to know the conditional for French conversation.

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

Note : -ais, -ait and -aient are pronounced exactly the same

Good news ! The irregular verbs in Conditionnel are the same than in the Futur Simple.

To learn and review all your irregular verbs, I recommend you to use a Bescherelle.

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 ?

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

• 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)

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)

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

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 ?

Would you like to review the future tense or the imparfait ? Feel free to browse more articles in my blog or get in touch !