Le Conditionnel — Formation et Usages
Form the present conditional using the futur simple stem plus imparfait endings. Apply it for polite requests (je voudrais), advice (tu devrais), reported speech (il a dit qu'il viendrait), and unverified journalistic information.
A lesson of French B1 — Intermediate, in Subjonctif & Conditionnel, about 10 minutes.
By the end of this lesson, you will form the present conditional of regular and irregular verbs, and use it correctly for polite requests, hypotheticals, and reported speech.
What Is the Conditional?
The conditionnel présent is the French equivalent of "would + verb." It expresses:
- Politeness — Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît. (I would like a coffee, please.)
- Hypotheticals — Si j'avais le temps, je voyagerais. (If I had time, I would travel.)
- Reported speech — Il a dit qu'il viendrait. (He said he would come.)
- Advice — Tu devrais étudier davantage. (You should study more.)
Formation
The conditional is built on the futur simple stem (the infinitive for regular verbs) plus the imparfait endings.
Conditional endings (same as imparfait): -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient
Regular -er verb: parler (to speak)
| Person | Stem | Ending | Full form |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | parler- | -ais | parlerais |
| tu | parler- | -ais | parlerais |
| il/elle | parler- | -ait | parlerait |
| nous | parler- | -ions | parlerions |
| vous | parler- | -iez | parleriez |
| ils/elles | parler- | -aient | parleraient |
Regular -ir verb: finir
je finirais, tu finirais, il finirait, nous finirions, vous finiriez, ils finiraient