The Conditional in French

Quick Answer

The French conditionnel(conditional) is a mode(mood) used to express what would happen in a hypothetical situation, to show politeness or softness, or to transform direct speech into indirect speech. The conditional exists in two main tenses in French: the présent du conditionnel(present conditional) and the passé du conditionnel(past conditional).

examples

Je voudrais un café, s’il vous plaît.

I would like a coffee, please.

Nous serions venus si nous avions eu le temps.

We would have come if we had had the time.

In this article, you'll learn what the conditional mood is and when the present conditional and past conditional are used in French. You'll also get an overview of how the conditional works in if-clauses, polite requests, and indirect speech. Allons-y !(Let’s go!)

Questions This Article Answers

What is the conditional mood in French?

When do you use the present conditional and the past conditional?

What kinds of ideas does the conditional mood express?

How is the conditional used in if-clauses and indirect speech?

The Conditional Mood in French

The conditionnel(conditional) is a mode(mood) used to talk about actions that are hypothetical, imagined, desired, or uncertain. It can also be used to add politeness to a request. It’s often translated into English with the word would.

French has two tenses for the conditional:

le présent du conditionnel(the present conditional)
le passé du conditionnel(the past conditional)

Each of these tenses is used in specific grammatical contexts, but both of them reflect the same idea: something that’s not real in the present moment (hypothetical, desired, or dependent on conditions).

Let’s take a closer look at how these two tenses function in context.

The Present Conditional in French

The présent du conditionnel is used to express an action that would happen under certain conditions or to soften requests and suggestions. It's also commonly used in indirect speech.

1. Hypothetical or Imagined Actions

This is the most common use of the present conditional. It expresses something that would happen, but only under certain conditions.

examples
Je ferais le tour du monde si j’avais le temps. I would travel the world if I had time.
On dormirait mieux s'il faisait moins chaud. We would sleep better if it weren't so hot.
Tu choisirais quoi si tu pouvais tout avoir ? What would you choose if you could have anything?

These sentences often include an if-clause with a verb in the imparfait(imperfect) and a main clause with a verb in the présent du conditionnel.

2. Polite Requests and Suggestions

The conditional can also be used to soften a request or suggestion. For example, instead of saying what you want, you're saying what you would like, which is more polite. Instead of telling people what they must do, you're asking them if they could do something.

examples
Je voudrais un café, s’il vous plaît. I would like a coffee, please.
Tu pourrais m’aider, s’il te plaît ? Could you help me, please?
On devrait appeler un médecin. We should call a doctor.
J'aimerais qu'on éteigne la télé. I would like the TV to be turned off.

Verbs like aimer(to like), devoir(to have to, should), pouvoir(to be able to, could), and vouloir(to want, would like) are especially common in this use.

Devoir and Pouvoir

The French verbs devoir and pouvoir usually translate into different modal verbs in English, depending on their tense.

English Equivalents for French Verb Devoir in Different Tenses

French tense	English
Present Indicative	must, to have to
Present Conditional	should
Past Conditional	should have

English Equivalents for French Verb Pouvoir in Different Tenses

French tense	English
Present Indicative	can
Present Conditional	could
Past Conditional	could have

examples
Tu dois dire la vérité. You must tell the truth.
Nous devrions partir avant midi. We should leave before noon.
Vous auriez dû me demander. You should have asked me.
Il peut changer d’avis à tout moment. He can change his mind at any time.
Tu pourrais faire un effort. You could make an effort.
Tu aurais pu faire un effort. You could have made an effort.

examples

Tu dois dire la vérité.

You must tell the truth.

Nous devrions partir avant midi.

We should leave before noon.

Vous auriez dû me demander.

You should have asked me.

Il peut changer d’avis à tout moment.

He can change his mind at any time.

Tu pourrais faire un effort.

You could make an effort.

Tu aurais pu faire un effort.

You could have made an effort.

3. Indirect Speech in the Past

The present conditional is also used in indirect speech, especially after a reporting verb like dire(to say), croire(to believe, to think), penser(to think), or promettre(to promise). In these cases, the present conditional reflects a future event relative to the past. This is called tense backshifting. You’re reporting what someone said they would do from the perspective of the past.

Backshift Quick Rule

Direct speech	Indirect speech	Notes
futur simple	présent du conditionnel	After a reporting verb in the past tense

In the example box below, the reporting verb dire introduces direct speech in the first example. Notice how the verb is in the futur simple. In the second example, the reporting verb introduces indirect speech, which backshifts the verb to the présent du conditionnel.

examples
Il a dit : « Je viendrai demain. » He said, "I'll come tomorrow."
Il a dit qu’il viendrait demain. He said he would come tomorrow.

In the following boxes, both sentences contain indirect speech. However, notice how the reporting verb is in the present in the first example but in the past in the second example. Crucially, the reporting verbs je croyais (I thought) and ils ont promis (they promised) appearing in the past trigger the verb in indirect speech to backshift from the futur simple to the présent du conditionnel.

examples
Je crois qu'elle sera ici à 9 heures. I think she'll be here at 9 a.m.
Je croyais qu’elle serait ici à 9 heures. I thought she would be here at 9 a.m.

examples
Ils promettent qu'ils paieront à la fin du mois. They promise they'll pay at the end of the month.
Ils ont promis qu’ils paieraient à la fin du mois. They promised they would pay at the end of the month.

Forming the Present Conditional

The present conditional is formed by adding the imparfait endings to the futur simple(simple future) stem of the verb.

Here are a few examples for regular verbs:

parler(to talk) → je parlerais(I would talk)

finir(to finish) → tu finirais(you would finish)

vendre(to sell) → ils vendraient(they would sell)

Dive deeper into how to form and use the présent du conditionnel:

The Present Conditional in French

The Past Conditional in French

While the présent du conditionnel can be used to express an action that would happen, the passé du conditionnel can be used to express an action that would have happened under certain conditions.

Similar to the présent du conditionnel, the passé du conditionnel can also be used in indirect speech in the past. However, this time, it is used when the original sentence in direct speech was in the futur antérieur(future perfect) (and not in the futur simple).

The passé du conditionnel can also be used to express regret and criticism.

1. Hypothetical or Imagined Actions in the Past

The passé du conditionnel is used to describe actions that would have happened, but didn’t, often because of some unfulfilled condition or change in plans. It’s the go-to tense for talking about missed opportunities or what might have been.

examples
J’aurais accepté s’il m’avait demandé. I would have said yes if he had asked me.
Elle serait venue si elle n’avait pas été malade. She would have come if she hadn’t been sick.
Nous aurions fini plus tôt si tu nous avais aidés. We would have finished earlier if you had helped us.

2. Expressing Regret or Criticism

The passé du conditionnel is commonly used to express regret, disappointment, or sometimes criticism after the fact. In English, this often translates to should have, could have, or would have.

examples
Tu aurais dû m’appeler plus tôt. You should have called me earlier.
Ils auraient pu prévenir. They could have given notice.
On n’aurait pas dû attendre aussi longtemps. We shouldn’t have waited so long.
J’aurais aimé passer davantage de temps avec eux. I would have liked to spend more time with them.

Just like we saw above with the présent du conditionnel, verbs like aimer(to like), devoir(to have to, should), pouvoir(to be able to, could), and vouloir(to want, would like) are commonly used with the past conditional to express this kind of nuance.

3. Indirect Speech Referring to a Missed or Completed Action

The passé du conditionnel is also used in indirect speech, after a reporting verb in the past tense, when the original statement involved the futur antérieur or an action that someone said they would have completed. It often reflects a plan that didn’t happen.

Backshift Quick Rule

Direct speech	Indirect speech	Notes
futur antérieur	passé du conditionnel	After a reporting verb in the past tense

In the example box below, the reporting verb dire introduces direct speech in the first example. Notice how the verb is in the futur antérieur. In the second example, the reporting verb introduces indirect speech, which backshifts the verb to the passé du conditionnel

examples
Il a dit : « J'aurai terminé avant midi. » He said, "I will have finished before noon."
Il a dit qu’il aurait terminé avant midi. He said he would have finished before noon.

In the following boxes, both sentences contain indirect speech. However, notice how the reporting verb is in the present in the first example but in the past in the second example. Crucially, the reporting verbs elle pensait (she thought) and tu croyais (you thought) appearing in the past tense trigger the verb in indirect speech to backshift from the futur antérieur to the passé du conditionnel.

examples
Elle pense qu'ils seront partis plus tôt. She thinks they will have left earlier.
Elle pensait qu’ils seraient partis plus tôt. She thought they would have left earlier.

examples
Tu crois qu'on aura déjà mangé? You think we will have eaten already?
Tu croyais qu’on aurait déjà mangé ? You thought we would have eaten already?

Forming the Past Conditional

The passé du conditionnel is a compound tense formed with:

An auxiliary: avoir(to have) or être(to be) conjugated in the present conditional, based on the main verb you're using.

The past participle of the main verb

Want more examples and practice with the passé du conditionnel?

The Past Conditional in French

Practice Conjugating Verbs with our Conjugation Drill

Now that you’ve seen how the conditionnel works and when to use each tense, it’s time to put that knowledge into action! With a little practice, the présent du conditionnel and passé du conditionnel will become a natural part of your conversations in French.