What is the conditional tense and how do I use it?

The conditional tense is used to express the idea of 'would' - e.g. I would like a croissant, we would go on holidayThe conditional is formed by taking the infinitive of the verb as the stem, and then adding the same endings as for the imperfect tense:je ... aistu ... aisil/elle/on ... aitnous ... ionsvous ... iezils/elles ... aientSo, putting that all together:I prefer to stay at home - je préférerais rester chez moiThey would play football - Ils joueraient au footREMEMBER: some verbs are irregular. These don't use the infinitive stem, but have their own stems.e.g. aller - ir, faire - fer, vouloir - voudrShe would like a coffee - Elle voudrait un caféWe would go to France - Nous irions en FranceTOP TIP: When using the conditional tense, you should always be able to hear the letter R - jouerais, ferions