In this French grammar lesson, we will learn about when to use the conditionnel présent .
In this lesson you will learn about:
- when to use the conditionnel présent
- how the conditionnel présent is used in sentences
- how you can quiz yourself on when to use the conditionnel présent
- how to practice with flashcards on when to use the conditionnel présent
- how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn French
Please refer to the French B1 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar, if you are curious about how this fits in the overall structure of French B1.
Please also read how to form the conditionnel présent, to find out how you can form it.
By the end of the lesson, you will know all about when to use the conditionnel présent!
Table of Contents
When to use the Conditionnel Présent
There are 3 cases when you would use the conditionnel présent.
- Express a suggestion or a wish
- Make a request or statement more polite
- When a condition is implied (si clause)
We will handle all of them, and examples will be given for all of them.
Express a Suggestion or a Wish
You will use the conditionnel présent to express a suggestion or a wish.
acheter
J’achèterais cette voiture..
I would buy this car.
aimer
J’aimerais rentrer chez moi.
I would like to go home.
In the first example someone is giving a suggestion.
In the second example someone is expressing a wish.
Make a Request or Statement More Polite
You will use the conditionnel présent to make a request or statement more polite.
vouloir
Je voudrais un croissant.
I would like a croissant.
pouvoir
Pourriez-vous m’aider demain ?
Could you help me tomorrow?
Whenever you want to make a request or statement more polite, you will use the conditionnel présent.
When a Condition is Implied (si clause)
You will the conditionnel présent when a condition is implied.
Please have a look at the following conditional sentence.
être / acheter
Si j’étais riche, j’achèterais une villa.
If I were rich, then I would buy a villa.
If you were rich [the condition], then you would buy a villa.
Because a condition is implied, you have to use the conditionnel présent in the following clause.
Please note that you have to use the imparfait to imply the condition.
The construction for conditional sentences looks like this:
- [si + imparfait] + conditionnel présent
être / faire
Si j’étais vous, je le ferais.
If I were you, then I would do it.
pouvoir / acheter
Si tu pouvais tout acheter dans le monde, qu’est-ce que tu achèterais ?
If you could buy everything in the world, what would you buy?
appeler / avoir
Si tu m’appelais, nous aurions une conversation amusante.
If you called me, we would have a fun conversation.
gagner / faire
Si nous gagnions au loto, nous ferions le tour du monde.
If we won the lottery, we would travel the world.
It’s also fine the flip this construction:
- conditionnel présent + [si + imparfait]
faire / être
Que feriez-vous, si vous étiez le président.
What would you do, if you were the president.
There are a lot of these “if-then” sentences in French.
It’s important to know this construction well.
Example Sentences on When to use the Conditionnel Présent
The final section of this lesson on when to use the conditionnel présent is about seeing the conditionnel présent in action.
This is valuable because you can improve your understanding of when to use the conditionnel présent through examples.
acheter
J’achèterais cette voiture..
I would buy this car.
aimer
J’aimerais rentrer chez moi.
I would like to go home.
vouloir
Je voudrais un croissant.
I would like a croissant.
pouvoir
Pourriez-vous m’aider demain ?
Could you help me tomorrow?
être / acheter
Si j’étais riche, j’achèterais une villa.
If I were rich, then I would buy a villa.
être / faire
Si j’étais vous, je le ferais.
If I were you, then I would do it.
pouvoir / acheter
Si tu pouvais tout acheter dans le monde, qu’est-ce que tu achèterais ?
If you could buy everything in the world, what would you buy?
appeler / avoir
Si tu m’appelais, nous aurions une conversation amusante.
If you called me, we would have a fun conversation.
gagner / faire
Si nous gagnions au loto, nous ferions le tour du monde.
If we won the lottery, we would travel the world.
faire / être
Que feriez-vous, si vous étiez le président.
What would you do, if you were the president.
Quiz Yourself on When to use the Conditionnel Présent
At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter.
You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.
Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.
You can redo the quiz as many times as you want!
How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson
Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!
It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.
Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information.
There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.
- Anki
- The Flashcards in our Courses
Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.
After you have downloaded Anki, you can get our French B1 Anki Deck.
This Anki Deck contains 2,028 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for French B1.
All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.
You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!
However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?
The Courses of Language Atlas
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