Learn to conjugate verbs in the present tense of the conditional
Le présent du conditionnel
When to use
The conditional present tense in French is used to express what would happen given certain events or actions. The conditional mood in French has two extra applications that are different in English. 1) When you're saying what someone said they will do in the future. 2) When the condition of the conditional clause happens while or at the same time. This is the case when quand, lorsque, au moment où, dès que, aussitôt que, pendant que or tandis que are used. In English we use an imperfect or perfect past tense but in French they use the conditional. Its English equivalents are as follows:
Conditional present tense
The tense that is composed as would plus the plain form of the verb (the infinitive minus the 'to').
Eg. I would go to the shop.
Future tense reporting
The tense that is composed as will plus the plain form of the verb (the infinitive minus the 'to') when you're reporting what someone said their intentions are.
Eg. She said that she will give it back tomorrow.
Simultaneous subordinate clauses whose main clauses are conditional
The tense that is composed with the '-ed' ending when your subordinate clause is simultaneously to the conditional clause.
Eg. We would go as soon as they returned home.
Examples of use
Eg. 1)
avec son professeur.
with her teacher.
Eg. 2)
par où aller.
which way to go.
Eg. 3)
mon livre afin d'en acheter un nouveau.
my book so I can buy a new one.
Eg. 4)
Ils ont dit qu'.
They said that leave.
Eg. 5)
Il regarderait l'actualité lorsqu' du temps libre.
He would watch the news when free time.
How to conjugate
With -er and -ir verbs, add the following endings to the infitive of the verb. With -re verbs, remove the final 'e' before adding the following endings. The infinitive of the verb is plain form of the verb that is found in a dictionary.
Je
-ais
I
Tu
-ais
you (s.)
Il
-ait
he, she, it
Nous
-ions
we
Vous
-iez
you (p., pol.)
Ils
-aient
they
Examples of conjugation
-er verb
parler
Je
parler
Tu
parler
Il
parler
Nous
parler
Vous
parler
Ils
parler
-ir verb
choisir
Je
choisir
Tu
choisir
Il
choisir
Nous
choisir
Vous
choisir
Ils
choisir
-re verb
vendr
Je
vendr
Tu
vendr
Il
vendr
Nous
vendr
Vous
vendr
Ils
vendr
Notable points
Would like confusionIn English, the polite form of the verb to want is would like. This polite verb form should not be confused for the conditional mood. There are instances where would like is actually conditional,
J' l'auto si elle était moins chère.
In the above sentence, would is actually a conditional modal verb, but in most cases, it will be the polite form of to want.
Bonjour ! Je commander, s'il vous plaît.
Could, should, wouldThe auxiliary verb could in French is written as the verb to be able to in the conditional mood. Therefore, to say I could go, in French you say I would be able to go. In English, make sure not to confuse could as a past tense of can, in this case, it is also the past tense in French. The auxiliary verb should in French is written as the verb to have to in the conditinal mood. Therefore, to say I should go, in French you say I would have to go.
News reportingYou may hear when listening to French news that rumors or unproven stories are told in the conditional. This is very common and is only used by reporters. In English we use the regular past tense.
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