The Conditional Tense in French

This section explains The Conditional Tense in French. The conditional tense (le conditionnel) is used to express hypothetical situations, desires, polite requests, and future actions that are dependent on certain conditions. It often corresponds to the English "would" and is a key element of your GCSE French studies.

How to Form the Conditional Tense:

The conditional tense is formed by using the future stem (the same as the future tense stem) and adding imperfect tense endings.

The endings for the conditional tense are the same as the imperfect tense endings.

Conditional Endings:

Steps to Form the Conditional Tense:

1. For regular verbs, start with the infinitive verb (the base form).
2. Add the imperfect endings.
   • For -er verbs (e.g., parler – to speak), use the full infinitive as the stem.
   • For -ir verbs (e.g., finir – to finish), use the full infinitive as the stem.
   • For -re verbs (e.g., vendre – to sell), remove the final e before adding the endings.

Examples of Regular Verbs in the Conditional:

1. Parler (to speak) – Regular -er verb:
   • Je parlerais (I would speak)
   • Tu parlerais (You would speak)
   • Il/Elle/On parlerait (He/She/One would speak)
   • Nous parlerions (We would speak)
   • Vous parleriez (You would speak)
   • Ils/Elles parleraient (They would speak)
2. Finir (to finish) – Regular -ir verb:
   • Je finirais (I would finish)
   • Tu finirais (You would finish)
   • Il/Elle/On finirait (He/She/One would finish)
   • Nous finirions (We would finish)
   • Vous finiriez (You would finish)
   • Ils/Elles finiraient (They would finish)
3. Vendre (to sell) – Regular -re verb:
   • Je vendrais (I would sell)
   • Tu vendrais (You would sell)
   • Il/Elle/On vendrait (He/She/One would sell)
   • Nous vendrions (We would sell)
   • Vous vendriez (You would sell)
   • Ils/Elles vendraient (They would sell)

Irregular Verbs in the Conditional:

Some verbs have irregular stems in the conditional tense, but the endings are the same as for regular verbs. These stems are the same as those used in the future tense.

Here are a few common irregular stems:

1. Être (to be):
   • Je serais (I would be)
   • Tu serais (You would be)
   • Il/Elle/On serait (He/She/One would be)
   • Nous serions (We would be)
   • Vous seriez (You would be)
   • Ils/Elles seraient (They would be)
2. Avoir (to have):
   • J'aurais (I would have)
   • Tu aurais (You would have)
   • Il/Elle/On aurait (He/She/One would have)
   • Nous aurions (We would have)
   • Vous auriez (You would have)
   • Ils/Elles auraient (They would have)
3. Faire (to do/make):
   • Je ferais (I would do/make)
   • Tu ferais (You would do/make)
   • Il/Elle/On ferait (He/She/One would do/make)
   • Nous ferions (We would do/make)
   • Vous feriez (You would do/make)
   • Ils/Elles feraient (They would do/make)
4. Aller (to go):
   • J'irais (I would go)
   • Tu irais (You would go)
   • Il/Elle/On irait (He/She/One would go)
   • Nous irions (We would go)
   • Vous iriez (You would go)
   • Ils/Elles iraient (They would go)
5. Pouvoir (to be able):
   • Je pourrais (I could)
   • Tu pourrais (You could)
   • Il/Elle/On pourrait (He/She/One could)
   • Nous pourrions (We could)
   • Vous pourriez (You could)
   • Ils/Elles pourraient (They could)

Common Uses of the Conditional Tense:

1. To express hypothetical situations:
   • Si j'avais plus d'argent, je voyagerais autour du monde.
     (If I had more money, I would travel around the world.)
2. To express polite requests or offers:
   • Est-ce que vous pourriez m'aider ?
     (Could you help me?)
   • Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît.
     (I would like a coffee, please.)
3. To express wishes or desires:
   • J'aimerais bien aller à Kettering.
     (I would love to go to Kettering.)
   • Il souhaiterait voir ce film.
     (He would like to see this film.)
4. To express actions that depend on certain conditions:
   • Nous partirions en vacances si nous avions assez d'argent.
     (We would go on holiday if we had enough money.)

Foundation Tier Examples:

1. Je voudrais un gâteau au chocolat.
   (I would like a chocolate cake.)
2. Il ferait beau si nous allions à la plage.
   (It would be nice if we went to the beach.)
3. Tu irais au cinéma ce soir ?
   (Would you go to the cinema this evening?)
4. Nous mangerions au restaurant s'il y avait une table libre.
   (We would eat at the restaurant if there was a free table.)

Higher Tier Examples:

1. Si j'avais le temps, je voyagerais autour du monde.
   (If I had the time, I would travel around the world.)
2. Elle aimerait visiter le musée d'art moderne à Paris.
   (She would like to visit the modern art museum in Paris.)
3. Nous aurions dû acheter des billets plus tôt.
   (We should have bought tickets earlier.)
4. Si tu étais plus patient, tu comprendrais mieux.
   (If you were more patient, you would understand better.)

Negative Form:

To make the conditional negative, use ne before the verb and pas after it.

Examples:

• Je ne vendrais pas ma voiture.
  (I would not sell my car.)
• Ils ne viendraient pas si tu leur demandais.
  (They would not come if you asked them.)

Questions in the Conditional:

To form questions in the conditional tense, you can use est-ce que or invert the subject and verb.

Examples:

• Est-ce que tu voudrais du chocolat ?
  (Would you like some chocolate?)
• Feriez-vous une exception ?
  (Would you make an exception?)

Key Takeaways:

• The conditional tense is used to talk about hypothetical situations, polite requests, wishes, and conditions.
• It is formed by using the future tense stem and adding the imperfect endings.
• Some verbs have irregular stems, but the endings remain the same.
• The negative form is made with ne...pas, and questions are formed with est-ce que or inversion.