The present conditional

Kurz erklärt

The French conditionnel présent expresses what would happen under a condition. It is also common in polite requests, wishes, and suggestions, where it makes the statement sound less direct.

Bildung

Use the future stem of the verb + the imperfect endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. For most verbs, the infinitive is the stem; -re verbs drop the final -e. Irregular future stems also apply, for example aur- (avoir), ser- (être), and ir- (aller).

Verwendung

• A possible result in a hypothetical situation
• Polite requests or softened statements
• Wishes and preferences
• Advice with devoir: tu devrais / vous devriez

Beispiele

• Je voudrais réserver une table pour deux. — I would like to reserve a table for two.
• Avec plus de temps, nous voyagerions davantage. — With more time, we would travel more.
• Tu devrais parler au médecin. — You should talk to the doctor.

Typischer Fehler

❌ Je voudrait un café.

✅ Je voudrais un café.

The ending must agree with the subject: je takes -ais, while -ait is used with il, elle, or on.

Merke

The stem is the same as in the future tense, but the endings are those of the imperfect.