How do you form the conditional tense in French?

In French you form the conditional tense in 2 simple steps:

1) Take the future stem of the verb. E.g - manger

2) Add the imperfect endings. E.g - ais, ais, ait, ions, iez, aient.

 

You use the conditional tense to talk about what 'would' happen in the future.

Many verbs have irregular stems in the future and these must also be used in the conditional tense. Some examples are given below.

Aller: ir-

Avoir: aur-

Etre: ser-

Faire: fer-

Vouloir: voudr-

Example sentences: I would go to Spain. - J'irais en Espagne.

                                 He would eat an apple. - Il mangerait une pomme.

                                 We would do our homework. - Nous ferions nos devoirs.

 

LS
Answered by Lucy S. French tutor

4192 Views

See similar French GCSE tutors

Related French GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How to conjugate reflexive verbs in the present and perfect tense


How do I use direct and indirect object pronouns in French?


What is the imperfect tense and how do I conjugate it?


What is the difference between the perfect and the pluperfect tense?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning