13.5. Le conditionnel présent

The Conditional Mood

13.5.1. The Main Idea

The conditionnel présent is used to say what someone would do, what could happen, or what someone would like.

Je voyagerais.	I would travel.
Tu ferais ça ?	Would you do that?
Nous habiterions en ville.	We would live in the city.
Je voudrais un café.	I would like a coffee.

You already used the conditional in hypothetical situations. Now you can learn its full form more clearly.

13.5.2. How to Form the Conditional

The conditional uses:

future stem + imparfait endings

conditionnel présent

The endings are the same as the imparfait:

je	-ais
tu	-ais
il / elle	-ait
nous	-ions
vous	-iez
ils / elles	-aient

13.5.3. Regular Verb Examples

For most verbs, use the infinitive as the stem.

parler → je parlerais	I would speak
voyager → je voyagerais	I would travel
finir → je finirais	I would finish
choisir → je choisirais	I would choose

For regular -re verbs, remove the final -e.

vendre → je vendrais	I would sell
répondre → je répondrais	I would answer
attendre → j’attendrais	I would wait

13.5.4. Example: Voyager

je voyagerais	I would travel
tu voyagerais	you would travel
il voyagerait	he would travel
elle voyagerait	she would travel
nous voyagerions	we would travel
vous voyageriez	you would travel
ils voyageraient	they would travel
elles voyageraient	they would travel

13.5.5. Common Irregular Stems

The conditional uses the same irregular stems as the futur simple.

être → ser-	je serais
avoir → aur-	j’aurais
aller → ir-	j’irais
faire → fer-	je ferais
venir → viendr-	je viendrais
voir → verr-	je verrais
pouvoir → pourr-	je pourrais
vouloir → voudr-	je voudrais
devoir → devr-	je devrais
savoir → saur-	je saurais

13.5.6. Common Conditional Forms

je serais	I would be
j’aurais	I would have
j’irais	I would go
je ferais	I would do / make
je viendrais	I would come
je verrais	I would see
je pourrais	I could / I would be able to
je voudrais	I would like / I would want
je devrais	I should / I would have to
je saurais	I would know

13.5.7. Using the Conditional for Hypothetical Situations

Use the conditional to say what would happen.

Je voyagerais plus souvent.	I would travel more often.
J’habiterais dans un quartier calme.	I would live in a quiet neighbourhood.
Je choisirais cette option.	I would choose this option.
Je ne ferais pas ça.	I would not do that.

13.5.8. Si + Imparfait + Conditional

For many hypothetical situations, use:

si + imparfait, conditionnel

if ___, would ___

Examples:

Si j’avais le temps, je voyagerais.	If I had time, I would travel.
Si j’étais toi, je prendrais le bus.	If I were you, I would take the bus.
Si j’avais une voiture, j’irais au centre-ville.	If I had a car, I would go downtown.
Si je connaissais mieux la ville, je sortirais plus souvent.	If I knew the city better, I would go out more often.

Do not use the conditional right after si in this pattern.

Si j’avais le temps, je voyagerais.	correct
Si j’~~aurais~~ le temps, je voyagerais.	avoid

13.5.9. Using the Conditional for Politeness

The conditional is also used to sound softer and more polite.

Je veux un café.	I want a coffee.
Je voudrais un café.	I would like a coffee.
Tu peux m’aider ?	Can you help me?
Tu pourrais m’aider ?	Could you help me?
Vous pouvez répéter ?	Can you repeat?
Vous pourriez répéter ?	Could you repeat?

13.5.10. Using the Conditional for Advice

Use devoir in the conditional to give advice.

Tu devrais dormir.	You should sleep.
Tu devrais prendre le bus.	You should take the bus.
Vous devriez attendre ici.	You should wait here.
Nous devrions partir maintenant.	We should leave now.

This connects with il faut and the imperative:

Dors.	Sleep. direct command
Il faut dormir.	You have to sleep. general necessity
Tu dois dormir.	You have to sleep. obligation
Tu devrais dormir.	You should sleep. softer advice

13.5.11. Negative Sentences

Place ne… pas around the conditional verb.

Je ferais ça.	I would do that.
Je ne ferais pas ça.	I would not do that.
Tu irais là-bas.	You would go there.
Tu n’irais pas là-bas.	You would not go there.
Nous achèterions une maison.	We would buy a house.
Nous n’achèterions pas de maison.	We would not buy a house.

13.5.12. Questions

Tu ferais ça ?	Would you do that?
Vous feriez ça ?	Would you do that? formal or plural
Qu’est-ce que tu ferais ?	What would you do?
Où irais-tu ?	Where would you go? formal
Tu choisirais quoi ?	What would you choose?
Tu pourrais m’aider ?	Could you help me?

13.5.13. Core Patterns

conditionnel présent	would ___
future stem + imparfait endings	je voyagerais
si + imparfait, conditionnel	if ___, would ___
Je voudrais ___ .	I would like ___ .
Tu pourrais ___ ?	Could you ___?
Tu devrais ___ .	You should ___ .
Je ne ___rais pas.	I would not ___ .

13.5.14. Practice

I would travel.
Would you do that? informal
What would you choose?
If I had time, I would travel.
If I were you, I would take the bus.
I would like a coffee.
Could you help me? formal
You should sleep.
I would not do that.

13.5.15. Answers

I would travel.	Je voyagerais.
Would you do that? informal	Tu ferais ça ?
What would you choose?	Tu choisirais quoi ?
If I had time, I would travel.	Si j’avais le temps, je voyagerais.
If I were you, I would take the bus.	Si j’étais toi, je prendrais le bus.
I would like a coffee.	Je voudrais un café.
Could you help me? formal	Vous pourriez m’aider ?
You should sleep.	Tu devrais dormir.
I would not do that.	Je ne ferais pas ça.

13.5.16. Short Dialogue

A : Tu ferais quoi si tu avais plus de temps ?	A: What would you do if you had more time?
B : Je voyagerais plus souvent. Et toi ?	B: I would travel more often. And you?
A : Moi, j’irais en France.	A: I would go to France.
B : Tu partirais quand ?	B: When would you leave?
A : Je partirais cet été, si c’était possible.	A: I would leave this summer, if it were possible.

13.5.17. Checkpoint

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to form the conditionnel présent, use regular and irregular conditional stems, talk about hypothetical situations with si + imparfait + conditionnel, make polite requests with je voudrais and vous pourriez, and give softer advice with tu devrais.