Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît. Pourriez-vous m'aider ? À votre place, je partirais tôt. Sans argent, nous ne pourrions pas voyager.
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GrammarB1conditionnelpoliteness
Le conditionnel présent
Le conditionnel présent
B1fr25 min
What you'll learn
- Be polite
- Express hypotheticals
- Form the conditionnel from the future stem
Tips for this lesson
- Conditionnel = futur simple stem + imparfait endings — reuses both tenses you already know.
- je voudrais / pourriez-vous / j'aimerais are the polite everyday phrases — learn these as fixed chunks first.
- The same 5 irregular stems from futur simple (ser-, aur-, ir-, fer-, viendr-) apply here too.
Step 1 of 6
1Reading
In context
Read. Notice the conditionnel softens requests and expresses 'would'.
Step 2 of 6
2The pattern
The pattern — future stem + imparfait endings
The conditionnel combines two things you already know: the futur simple stem and the imparfait endings.
The conditionnel présent has two main jobs: making requests polite and softer ("je voudrais" instead of the blunt "je veux"), and expressing what would happen under a condition ("à ta place, je partirais" — in your place, I would leave). The good news: you already know how to build it. Take the futur simple stem (same stem, same irregulars: ser-, aur-, ir-, fer-, viendr-...) and add the imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. So conditionnel = futur simple's stem + imparfait's endings — two things you've already mastered, combined.
| Pronoun | Ending | vouloir → voudr- (future stem) |
|---|---|---|
| je | -ais | voudrais |
| tu | -ais | voudrais |
| il / elle / on | -ait | voudrait |
| nous | -ions | voudrions |
| vous | -iez | voudriez |
| ils / elles | -aient | voudraient |
| Politeness formula | Meaning |
|---|---|
| je voudrais | I would like |
| pourriez-vous... ? | could you...? |
| j'aimerais | I would like/love |
| ça vous dirait de... ? | would you fancy...? |
Je voudrais un café.
I would like a coffee.
Much more polite than 'je veux un café' (I want a coffee).
Pourriez-vous m'aider ?
Could you help me?
pouvoir → pourr- (irregular future stem) + -iez.
À ta place, je partirais tôt.
In your place, I would leave early.
Hypothetical: what someone would do under a condition.
Nous ne pourrions pas voyager sans argent.
We wouldn't be able to travel without money.
Erreurs fréquentes
- Je voudrai un café.Je voudrais un café.
Watch the spelling — voudrai (futur simple, 'I will want') vs voudrais (conditionnel, 'I would like') differ by one letter but mean different things.
- Je allerais à Paris.J'irais à Paris.
Same irregular stems as futur simple apply here — aller's stem is ir-, not aller-.
- Si j'aurais le temps, je viendrais. (using conditionnel after si)Si j'avais le temps, je viendrais.
After si (if), use the IMPARFAIT, never the conditionnel — the conditionnel goes in the main clause (next lesson covers this fully).
Exceptions & à retenir
Full hypothesis structures need si + imparfait
The conditionnel almost always pairs with a si + imparfait clause for full hypotheticals: si j'avais de l'argent, je voyagerais (if I had money, I would travel). That's the complete structure — the next lesson (si clauses) builds this out fully.
Conditionnel can express uncertain/unconfirmed information
Selon la police, le voleur serait parti vers minuit (According to police, the thief reportedly left around midnight) — a journalistic use for unconfirmed facts, distinct from politeness/hypothesis.
devoir + conditionnel = 'should'
Tu devrais te reposer (You should rest) — devoir in the conditionnel is the standard way to give gentle advice, distinct from the stronger il faut que + subjonctif.
Astuces & mémo
- Learn je voudrais, pourriez-vous, j'aimerais as fixed polite phrases first — they cover most everyday needs and don't require thinking through the whole conjugation.
- The je/tu forms (-ais) sound identical to the imparfait je/tu forms — context and the stem (futur-based, often irregular) tell you it's conditionnel.
- Reuse your futur simple irregular stems chant (ser-, aur-, ir-, fer-, viendr-, voudr-, pourr-, saur-, devr-, verr-) — conditionnel uses exactly the same list.
Step 3 of 6
3Q&A drill
Match the politeness formula
Match each blunt phrase to its polite conditionnel equivalent.
- Q1je veux (blunt)A____________
- Q2pouvez-vous ? (direct)A____________
- Q3j'aime (present)A____________
Step 4 of 6
4Fill the blanks
Guided practice — form the conditionnel
Complete with the correct conditionnel form.
Example
Je (1) (vouloir) un café.
→ Je voudrais un café.
Exercice
(1) (Pouvoir)-vous m'aider ?
Exercice
À ta place, je (2) (partir) tôt.
Answer pool — drag onto a blank (or tap to fill the next one)
Next empty blank: 1
Step 5 of 6
5Word order
Build the sentence
Put the words in the correct order.
Example
unvoudraisjecafé→Je voudrais un café.
- Sentence 1Tap the words below to build the sentence.
- Sentence 2Tap the words below to build the sentence.
- Sentence 3Tap the words below to build the sentence.
Step 6 of 6
6Speak freely
Produce it
Make two polite requests and describe two things you would do in a hypothetical situation.
Ex.Je voudrais réserver une table. Pourriez-vous m'indiquer l'heure d'ouverture ? À votre place, je viendrais tôt.
- 1.Que voudriez-vous faire ce week-end ?
- 2.Pourriez-vous me donner un conseil ?
- 3.Que feriez-vous avec plus de temps libre ?