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Published September 12, 2012 • Updated March 8, 2026 — This lesson is part of the French grammar curriculum developed by David Issokson, a graduate of McGill University and professional French teacher since 2014. These structured lessons guide students from beginner fundamentals to advanced C1-level fluency through clear, expert-led instruction.
The French conditional tense (le conditionnel) expresses what would happen under certain conditions or in a hypothetical situation. It is commonly used for polite requests, suggestions, and si clauses.
In English, the conditional usually corresponds to would + verb.
Examples:
👉 Je mangerais. — I would eat.
👉 Nous irions. — We would go.
👉 Ce serait génial ! — That would be great!
1. How to Form the Conditional
The conditional combines:
👉 the future stem
👉 the imperfect endings
Basic formation
| Verb type | Stem used | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -er verbs | infinitive | parler → je parlerais |
| -ir verbs | infinitive | finir → je finirais |
| -re verbs | drop final -e | vendre → je vendrais |
Conditional endings
| Subject | Ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| je | -ais | je parlerais |
| tu | -ais | tu parlerais |
| il / elle | -ait | il parlerait |
| nous | -ions | nous parlerions |
| vous | -iez | vous parleriez |
| ils / elles | -aient | ils parleraient |
These endings are identical to the imperfect tense endings.
2. Common Irregular Conditional Stems
Many high-frequency verbs use irregular stems, but the endings remain the same.
| Infinitive | Stem | Example |
|---|---|---|
| aller | ir- | j’irais |
| avoir | aur- | j’aurais |
| être | ser- | ce serait |
| faire | fer- | je ferais |
| pouvoir | pourr- | je pourrais |
| vouloir | voudr- | je voudrais |
| devoir | devr- | je devrais |
| venir | viendr- | je viendrais |
These stems are the same ones used in the future tense.
3. When to Use the Conditional
The conditional has several important uses in everyday French.
Polite requests
The conditional softens requests and sounds more polite.
👉 Je voudrais un café. — I would like a coffee.
👉 Pourriez-vous m’aider ? — Could you help me?
Hypothetical situations
The conditional describes what someone would do under certain circumstances.
👉 À ta place, je ne ferais pas ça. If I were you, I would not do that.
Si clauses (if statements)
Structure:
Si + imparfait → conditionnel
👉 Si j’avais le temps, j’apprendrais le piano. If I had the time, I would learn piano.
Reported or uncertain information
In journalism, the conditional can indicate that information is unconfirmed or reported.
👉 Le président serait en France. The president is reportedly in France.
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💡 Advanced tenses
👉 French Conditional Perfect »
👉 Conditional Perfect Second Form »
📚 Related French grammar lessons
👉 French grammar hub »
👉 Future tense (futur simple) »
👉 Passé composé (past tense) »
👉 Imperfect tense (imparfait) »
👉 Subjunctive mood (subjonctif) »
👉 French verb conjugations guide »
French Conditional Tense — Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the French conditional tense?
The French conditional tense (le conditionnel) expresses what would happen in a hypothetical situation. It is commonly used for polite requests, suggestions, and “if” statements describing imagined or unreal situations. In English, the conditional usually corresponds to would + verb.
How do you form the French conditional?
The conditional is formed by adding the imperfect endings (-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient) to the future stem of the verb. For most verbs, the stem is the infinitive, while -re verbs drop the final -e. For example, parler becomes je parlerais and vendre becomes je vendrais.
What is the difference between the conditional and future tense?
The future tense (futur simple) describes actions that will happen. The conditional tense describes actions that would happen under certain conditions. For example, je voyagerai demain means “I will travel tomorrow,” while je voyagerais si j’avais le temps means “I would travel if I had the time.”
When is the conditional used with “si”?
The conditional is commonly used in hypothetical si clauses. In this structure, the if-clause uses the imperfect tense (imparfait) and the result clause uses the conditional. For example, si j’avais plus d’argent, j’achèterais une maison means “If I had more money, I would buy a house.”
