French Conditional Mood - Conditionnel
Using the Conditional
The conditional is a verb mood used for events that are not guaranteed to occur; often they are dependent on certain conditions. It is translated as would in English.
The French conditional is mainly used in si clauses: if ___ then ___.
Il mangerait s'il avait faim - He would eat if he were hungry.
Si nous étudiions, nous serions plus intelligents - If we studied, (then) we would be
smarter.
The verb vouloir is used in the conditional to express a polite request:
Je voudrais une pomme - I would like an apple
Je voudrais aller avec vous - I would like to go with you.
However, you can't say "si vous voudriez" to mean "if you would like," because the conditional can never be used after si - learn more.
The verb aimer is used to express a polite desire, sometimes one that cannot be fulfilled:
J'aimerais bien le voir ! - I would really like to see it!
J'aimerais y aller, mais je dois travailler - I would like to go, but I have
to work.
| Formation of the Conditional Test on French Conditional |
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