When is le conditionnel used

The present conditional is used in three main contexts:. I would like the menu, please. Auriez-vous deux minutes?

Would you have a couple of minutes? She said she would come to the party. The French equivalent to this construction is a conditional mood with a full set of conjugations for every verb.

The uses of these two constructions are very similar. The most common use of the French conditional is in the result then clause of conditional sentences aka si clauses , which describe what would happen if some condition were met. See the note in the Habitual section of the imperfect lesson. Vouloir to want can be used in the conditional to ask for something.

Fais gaffe! When reporting a sentiment like "he will go" in indirect speech, the future is replaced by the conditional:. Test yourself on the French conditional with these fill-in-the-blanks exercises:. Note: You must be logged into your Progress with Lawless French account to take these tests. This free website is created with love and a great deal of work. In French, it is called le conditionnel and is most often translated by would in English.

The conditional endings are -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient These are also the imperfect endings. Remember to drop the final e from the infinitive stem of -re verbs. Only the difference in the pronunciation of the endings distinguishes the two. The difference between the je forms is subtle. Can you hear the differences? Note also how the e of the infinitive of -er verbs changes in the future and conditional forms. It is used to express a wish or a suggestion, to make a request, or to accept or extend invitations.

It is less direct and more polite than the imperative. The verbs 'pouvoir', 'vouloir', and 'devoir' are often found in the conditional to diminish the strength of a command. In most cases, the conditional is translated as meaning would in English. However, je pourrais means 'I could', je devrais means 'I should' and je voudrais means 'I would like'.

Joe-Bob and Tammy are at the restaurant where Edouard works as a waiter. Edouard: Bonsoir Madame, Monsieur. Edouard: Good evening, would you like to order drinks to start? Tammy: Oh oui!