The conditional
Would: je jouerais, on aimerait, and j'aurais, je ferais, j'irais and je serais (Higher).
Learn
The conditional, explained point by point
Everything the GCSE specification expects you to be able to do, and how to actually do it - the same lesson a signed-in student studies from.
Form the conditional of -er verbs
Use the future stem, the whole infinitive, with the imperfect endings -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient: je jouerais, tu jouerais, elle jouerait, nous jouerions, vous joueriez, ils joueraient.
Learn j'aurais, je serais, j'irais and je ferais
The four special future stems work here too: j'aurais, tu serais, il irait, elle ferait. Je voudrais, which you already know, is the conditional of vouloir.
Use the conditional for what would happen
The conditional says would: je mangerais means I would eat. It suits wishes and dreams, and opinions about ideas: j'aimerais travailler en France, ce serait génial.
Ask politely with j'aimerais
J'aimerais, like je voudrais, softens a request: j'aimerais réserver une chambre. It suits a role-play with an adult or a formal email.
Use si with the imperfect, then the conditional
For something unlikely or imagined, put si with the imperfect, then the conditional: si j'avais de l'argent, je voyagerais. The conditional never comes straight after si.
Tell the conditional from the future
The two look and sound very close: je jouerai (I will play) and je jouerais (I would play). The conditional ends like the imperfect, so look for the s or the t at the end.
Tell the conditional from the imperfect
Both share the endings, but the conditional keeps the r of the infinitive: je parlais means I was speaking, and je parlerais means I would speak.
The conditional key terms
The words the specification and the mark schemes use, each defined the way an examiner wants it.
- Conditional
- The form of the verb that says would: je jouerais means I would play. French calls it le conditionnel.
- Conditional endings
- The imperfect endings -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient, added to the future stem: nous parlerions.
- j'aimerais
- I would like, from aimer: j'aimerais devenir médecin means I would like to become a doctor.
- ce serait
- It would be, for an opinion about an idea: ce serait génial means it would be brilliant.
- si clause
- The if part of a sentence. With the imperfect after si, the other part takes the conditional: si j'étais riche, j'achèterais une maison.
- je voudrais
- I would like, the conditional of vouloir: je voudrais un billet.
- j'irais
- I would go, from aller: j'irais en Australie means I would go to Australia.
Common mistakes in The conditional
The slips that cost marks year after year, and what to do instead.
Writing the future ending when you mean would, as in je jouerai for I would play.
Would takes -ais for je and tu, and -ait for il and elle: je jouerais, il jouerait.
Putting the conditional after si, as in si j'aurais le temps.
After si, use the imperfect: si j'avais le temps, je jouerais. The conditional belongs in the other half.
Dropping the r, so je parlerais becomes je parlais.
Without the r it is the imperfect, I was speaking. The conditional keeps the whole infinitive: je parlerais.
Building être or aller from the infinitive, as in j'allerais.
Use the special stems: je serais, j'irais, j'aurais, je ferais.
Practice
Try a The conditional question
A GCSE-style original question from this topic. Have a go before you open the working - deciding on an answer first is what makes the working stick.
Which sentence is right?
- Si j'aurais le temps, je jouerais au tennis.
- Si j'avais le temps, je jouerais au tennis.
- Si j'avais le temps, je jouerai au tennis.
- Si j'ai le temps, je jouerais au tennis.
Show the answer and the working
Answer: Si j'avais le temps, je jouerais au tennis.
Si goes with the imperfect (j'avais), and the result takes the conditional (je jouerais, I would play).
- After si: the imperfect, j'avais.
- The result: the conditional, je jouerais.
- So Si j'avais le temps, je jouerais au tennis.