The Conditional Present (Le Conditionnel Présent)

The conditional present in French is a versatile tense that allows speakers to express hypothetical situations, polite requests, and possibilities. It's similar to the English "would" or "could" in many contexts.

Formation of the Conditional Present

To form the conditional present, use the stem of the future simple tense and add the imperfect endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.

Let's take the verb "parler" (to speak) as an example:

Uses of the Conditional Present

1. Expressing a wish or desire: "J'aimerais voyager autour du monde." (I would like to travel around the world.)
2. Making a polite request: "Pourriez-vous m'aider, s'il vous plaît ?" (Could you help me, please?)
3. Giving advice: "Tu devrais manger plus de fruits et légumes." (You should eat more fruits and vegetables.)
4. Expressing a hypothesis: "Si j'avais plus de temps, j'apprendrais le piano." (If I had more time, I would learn the piano.)
5. Indicating uncertain information: "Selon les rumeurs, le président démissionnerait bientôt." (According to rumors, the president would resign soon.)

Irregular Verbs in the Conditional Present

Some verbs have an irregular stem in the conditional present. Here are some important examples:

• Aller (to go): j'irais (I would go)
• Avoir (to have): j'aurais (I would have)
• Être (to be): je serais (I would be)
• Faire (to do/make): je ferais (I would do/make)
• Venir (to come): je viendrais (I would come)
• Pouvoir (to be able to): je pourrais (I would be able to)
• Vouloir (to want): je voudrais (I would want)

Special Cases

1. Verbs ending in -re like "prendre" (to take) drop the final 'e' in the conditional: je prendrais (I would take).
2. For verbs ending in -yer, the 'y' becomes 'i' before a silent 'e': Payer (to pay) → je paierais (I would pay) (or je payerais, both forms are accepted)
3. Verbs ending in -eler and -eter usually double the 'l' or 't': Appeler (to call) → j'appellerais (I would call) Jeter (to throw) → je jetterais (I would throw)

Quiz

Now, try to complete these sentences using the conditional present: