The conditionnel présent has the most elegant formation rule in the French verb system. You take the stem of the futur — exactly the same one you have already drilled — and you slap on the endings of the imparfait. Two systems you have already learned, recombined into a third. There are no new stems to memorize, no new endings to memorize, and the irregulars are the same irregulars you already know from the futur.
This page walks through the rule, the six endings, the full paradigms for the three regular groups and the seven most frequent irregular verbs, and the single biggest pitfall: the pronunciation contrast between je serai (futur) and je serais (conditionnel) — minimally different in writing, distinct in careful speech, and a key test of your pronunciation accuracy.
The rule, in one sentence
Take the futur stem. Add the imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.
That is the whole rule. Every regular verb, every irregular verb, every -er, -ir, and -re verb obeys it. There are no irregular conditionnel forms that aren't already irregular in the futur — meaning if you know that aller is j'irai in the futur, you know that the conditionnel is j'irais.
The six endings
The conditionnel endings are identical to the imparfait endings.
| Person | Ending | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| je | -ais | /ɛ/ |
| tu | -ais | /ɛ/ |
| il / elle / on | -ait | /ɛ/ |
| nous | -ions | /jɔ̃/ |
| vous | -iez | /je/ |
| ils / elles | -aient | /ɛ/ |
Four of the six forms — je, tu, il, ils — are pronounced identically: /ɛ/. The only audibly distinct forms are nous /jɔ̃/ and vous /je/. This four-way homophony is exactly the same pattern as the imparfait, and it has the same consequence: subject pronouns are mandatory, because without them you cannot tell je parlerais from il parlerait by ear.
The futur stem: a two-second refresher
The futur stem is what you add the future endings to. The rule for getting it:
- -er verbs: stem = full infinitive (parler → parler-)
- -ir verbs (regular and 2nd group): stem = full infinitive (finir → finir-)
- -re verbs: stem = infinitive minus the final -e (vendre → vendr-)
- Irregular verbs: idiosyncratic stems you memorize once (see the table later in this page)
Whatever stem gives you the futur, that same stem gives you the conditionnel. The two tenses share a stem; only the endings differ.
Full paradigm: parler (1er groupe)
Futur stem: parler- (infinitive itself).
| Written form | Pronunciation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| je parlerais | /ʒə paʁləʁɛ/ | I would speak |
| tu parlerais | /ty paʁləʁɛ/ | you would speak |
| il parlerait | /il paʁləʁɛ/ | he would speak |
| nous parlerions | /nu paʁləʁjɔ̃/ | we would speak |
| vous parleriez | /vu paʁləʁje/ | you would speak |
| ils parleraient | /il paʁləʁɛ/ | they would speak |
Je parlerais à mon patron, mais je sais déjà ce qu'il va répondre.
I'd talk to my boss, but I already know what he's going to say.
On parlerait moins fort si on n'était pas dans une cour de récréation.
We'd speak more quietly if we weren't in a schoolyard.
Full paradigm: finir (2e groupe)
Futur stem: finir- (infinitive itself).
Note: unlike the imparfait, the conditionnel of 2e-groupe verbs does not include the -iss- infix. The infix only appears in present-tense plural forms; futur and conditionnel are built straight from the infinitive.
| Written form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| je finirais | /ʒə finiʁɛ/ |
| tu finirais | /ty finiʁɛ/ |
| il finirait | /il finiʁɛ/ |
| nous finirions | /nu finiʁjɔ̃/ |
| vous finiriez | /vu finiʁje/ |
| ils finiraient | /il finiʁɛ/ |
Si tu commençais maintenant, tu finirais avant minuit.
If you started now, you'd finish before midnight.
Nous choisirions plutôt le menu végétarien, si c'est possible.
We'd rather choose the vegetarian menu, if that's possible.
Full paradigm: vendre (3e groupe -re)
Futur stem: vendr- (infinitive minus final -e).
| Written form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| je vendrais | /ʒə vɑ̃dʁɛ/ |
| tu vendrais | /ty vɑ̃dʁɛ/ |
| il vendrait | /il vɑ̃dʁɛ/ |
| nous vendrions | /nu vɑ̃dʁijɔ̃/ |
| vous vendriez | /vu vɑ̃dʁije/ |
| ils vendraient | /il vɑ̃dʁɛ/ |
Mes parents vendraient leur maison à Lyon s'ils trouvaient un acheteur sérieux.
My parents would sell their house in Lyon if they found a serious buyer.
Irregular stems (same as the futur)
The same fifteen or so irregular stems that you memorize for the futur reappear in the conditionnel. Memorize them once, get both tenses for free. Here are the most frequent.
| Infinitive | Stem | 1sg conditionnel | 3sg conditionnel |
|---|---|---|---|
| être | ser- | je serais | il serait |
| avoir | aur- | j'aurais | il aurait |
| aller | ir- | j'irais | il irait |
| faire | fer- | je ferais | il ferait |
| pouvoir | pourr- | je pourrais | il pourrait |
| vouloir | voudr- | je voudrais | il voudrait |
| devoir | devr- | je devrais | il devrait |
| savoir | saur- | je saurais | il saurait |
| voir | verr- | je verrais | il verrait |
| venir | viendr- | je viendrais | il viendrait |
| tenir | tiendr- | je tiendrais | il tiendrait |
| envoyer | enverr- | j'enverrais | il enverrait |
| recevoir | recevr- | je recevrais | il recevrait |
| mourir | mourr- | je mourrais | il mourrait |
| courir | courr- | je courrais | il courrait |
| falloir (impersonal) | faudr- | il faudrait | — |
| pleuvoir (impersonal) | pleuvr- | il pleuvrait | — |
| valoir | vaudr- | je vaudrais | il vaudrait |
A few stems are worth pausing on:
- pourr- for pouvoir: note the double r. The same double-r appears in courir (courr-), mourir (mourr-), and voir (verr-), envoyer (enverr-).
- voudr- for vouloir: contrasts with the imparfait voul-. Je voudrais (would like) vs. je voulais (used to want / wanted) — single most useful minimal pair in spoken French.
- viendr- / tiendr-: the inserted -d- is a regular feature of the futur/conditionnel stems for venir and tenir and all their compounds (devenir → deviendr-, retenir → retiendr-).
Tu pourrais m'expliquer une dernière fois, je n'ai vraiment pas compris.
Could you explain it to me one more time? I really didn't understand.
J'irais avec toi, mais j'ai déjà promis à Sarah qu'on déjeunerait ensemble.
I'd go with you, but I already promised Sarah we'd have lunch together.
Il faudrait qu'on parle, sérieusement.
We'd need to talk, seriously. (impersonal — il faudrait que + subjonctif)
Full paradigms of être and avoir
These two verbs deserve their own complete paradigms because they show up in roughly half of all conditional sentences — both as main verbs and as auxiliaries for the conditionnel passé.
être
| Person | Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| je | serais | /ʒə səʁɛ/ |
| tu | serais | /ty səʁɛ/ |
| il / elle / on | serait | /il səʁɛ/ |
| nous | serions | /nu səʁjɔ̃/ |
| vous | seriez | /vu səʁje/ |
| ils / elles | seraient | /il səʁɛ/ |
avoir
| Person | Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| j' | aurais | /ʒoʁɛ/ |
| tu | aurais | /ty oʁɛ/ |
| il / elle / on | aurait | /il oʁɛ/ |
| nous | aurions | /nu zoʁjɔ̃/ |
| vous | auriez | /vu zoʁje/ |
| ils / elles | auraient | /il zoʁɛ/ |
On serait prêts dans cinq minutes si tu nous laissais finir tranquillement.
We'd be ready in five minutes if you'd let us finish in peace.
J'aurais besoin d'un coup de main pour déménager le canapé, tu serais libre samedi ?
I'd need a hand moving the couch — would you be free Saturday?
The crucial pronunciation distinction: futur vs conditionnel
This is where most learners trip. The futur and the conditionnel of any given verb differ by a single letter in the singular and are pronounced differently — but the difference is subtle, and English speakers tend to flatten it.
| Verb | Futur (1sg) | Cond (1sg) | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| être | je serai | je serais | /səʁe/ vs. /səʁɛ/ |
| avoir | j'aurai | j'aurais | /oʁe/ vs. /oʁɛ/ |
| aller | j'irai | j'irais | /iʁe/ vs. /iʁɛ/ |
| parler | je parlerai | je parlerais | /paʁləʁe/ vs. /paʁləʁɛ/ |
| finir | je finirai | je finirais | /finiʁe/ vs. /finiʁɛ/ |
| vendre | je vendrai | je vendrais | /vɑ̃dʁe/ vs. /vɑ̃dʁɛ/ |
The futur ending -rai is a closed /e/ — the vowel of thé or fée. The conditionnel ending -rais is an open /ɛ/ — the vowel of père or belle. The difference is exactly the difference between the French é (closed) and è (open). In careful speech and in radio / news / formal contexts, the distinction is preserved. In rapid casual speech, especially in Northern France, many speakers neutralize it and say /ɛ/ for both — the tense is then disambiguated by context.
How to drill it: practice the same English meaning in both tenses back-to-back.
Demain, je serai à Paris.
Tomorrow I will be in Paris. (futur — /səʁe/, certain.)
Si j'avais le choix, je serais à Paris.
If I had the choice, I would be in Paris. (conditionnel — /səʁɛ/, hypothetical.)
The first is a plain commitment; the second is a wistful hypothesis. Hearing — and producing — the difference in the final vowel is what separates an intermediate French speaker from a fluent one.
The conditionnel and the imparfait: don't confuse the spellings
In writing, the imparfait endings (-ais, -ait, -aient) and the conditionnel endings (-rais, -rait, -raient) look almost identical. The distinguishing feature is the -r- of the conditionnel.
| Imparfait | Conditionnel | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| je parlais | je parlerais | extra -er- |
| tu finissais | tu finirais | different stem (no -iss-) |
| il vendait | il vendrait | extra -r- |
| nous étions | nous serions | different stem |
| j'avais | j'aurais | different stem |
The imparfait describes what was happening or used to happen. The conditionnel describes what would happen under some condition. They are never interchangeable, but their endings rhyme — so proofread carefully.
Quand j'étais petit, je jouais au foot tous les jours.
When I was little, I played soccer every day. (Imparfait — past habit.)
Si j'avais plus de temps, je jouerais au foot tous les jours.
If I had more time, I'd play soccer every day. (Conditionnel — hypothesis.)
What about the conditionnel passé?
For past hypotheticals — "I would have done," "they would have come" — French uses the conditionnel passé, formed from the conditionnel of avoir or être plus the past participle.
| Auxiliary | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| avoir-verbs | j'aurais fait | I would have done |
| avoir-verbs | tu aurais vu | you would have seen |
| avoir-verbs | il aurait dit | he would have said |
| être-verbs | je serais venu(e) | I would have come |
| être-verbs | elle serait partie | she would have left |
| pronominal | je me serais reposé(e) | I would have rested |
Auxiliary choice (avoir vs. être) and past-participle agreement follow the standard passé composé rules. See Conditionnel in Si-Clauses for the full Type 3 conditional system.
J'aurais aimé venir, mais je n'avais pas de voiture.
I would have liked to come, but I didn't have a car.
Si on avait su, on serait partis plus tôt.
If we'd known, we'd have left earlier.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Confusing the futur and the conditionnel in writing.
❌ Demain, je serais à Paris.
Wrong: serais is the conditionnel. For a plain future statement, use the futur je serai.
✅ Demain, je serai à Paris.
Tomorrow I'll be in Paris.
Mistake 2: Forgetting the -r- and writing imparfait instead of conditionnel.
❌ Si j'avais le temps, je parlais à mon patron.
Wrong: this is imparfait. The main clause of a Type 2 conditional needs the conditionnel — je parlerais.
✅ Si j'avais le temps, je parlerais à mon patron.
If I had time, I'd talk to my boss.
Mistake 3: Using the -iss- infix in the conditionnel of 2e-groupe verbs.
❌ Je finissais mon travail si tu me laissais tranquille.
Wrong: this is imparfait. The conditionnel of finir is finirais (no -iss-).
✅ Je finirais mon travail si tu me laissais tranquille.
I'd finish my work if you'd leave me alone.
Mistake 4: Forgetting the double -r- in pourr-, courr-, mourr-, verr-, enverr-.
❌ Tu pourais m'aider ?
Wrong: pouvoir takes a double r in the conditionnel: tu pourrais.
✅ Tu pourrais m'aider ?
Could you help me?
Mistake 5: Pronouncing je serais like je serai (closed /e/).
❌ Saying 'je serais content' as /ʒə səʁe kɔ̃tɑ̃/ instead of /ʒə səʁɛ kɔ̃tɑ̃/.
The conditionnel ending -ais is open /ɛ/. Closed /e/ is the futur.
✅ Si j'avais le temps, je serais content.
If I had time, I'd be happy. (with proper /ɛ/ on serais.)
Mistake 6: Building the conditionnel from a different stem than the futur.
❌ J'allerais au marché si j'avais le temps.
Wrong: aller is irregular — its stem is ir- (not aller-). The form is j'irais.
✅ J'irais au marché si j'avais le temps.
I'd go to the market if I had time.
Key takeaways
- The conditionnel formation rule is one line: futur stem + imparfait endings. No new stems, no new endings.
- The endings -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient are pronounced /ɛ/ in four out of six forms — subject pronouns are mandatory to disambiguate.
- The crucial distinction with the futur is the final vowel: je serai /səʁe/ (futur, closed) vs. je serais /səʁɛ/ (conditionnel, open). Learn to hear and produce the difference.
- All futur irregular stems (ir-, aur-, ser-, fer-, pourr-, voudr-, viendr-, verr-, enverr-) are reused in the conditionnel.
- For past hypotheticals ("would have"), use the conditionnel passé: aurais / serais
- past participle.
- In writing, watch for the silent -r- that distinguishes the conditionnel from the imparfait (je parlais vs. je parlerais).
Now practice French
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Start learning French→Related Topics
- Le Conditionnel: Overview of the French Conditional MoodA2 — The conditionnel is more than 'would' — it's the polite voice, the hypothetical voice, the future-in-the-past, and the journalistic hedge. One paradigm, six everyday jobs, and a place at the heart of grown-up French.
- Voudrais, Pourrais, Devrais, Aimerais: The Politeness ConditionalsA2 — The five conditionnel forms that mark the difference between sounding like a polite adult and sounding like a brusque tourist — what each one does, when to use it, and why bare 'je veux' will get you mocked.
- Le Conditionnel in Si-Clauses: Type 2, Type 3, and Mixed ConditionalsB1 — How the conditionnel pairs with the imparfait and plus-que-parfait to express counterfactual hypotheses about the present and the past — plus the mixed pattern, the universal English-speaker error to avoid, and the schoolyard rhyme that locks the rule in.
- Le Futur: OverviewA1 — French has two main futures — the synthetic futur simple (je parlerai) and the analytic futur proche (je vais parler) — plus the futur antérieur (j'aurai parlé) for completed future actions. This page maps how each is built, when each is used, and how they divide up the future-time space.
- L'imparfait : vue d'ensembleA2 — The imparfait — French's past-imperfective tense. Five core uses (habit, description, ongoing action, politeness, hypothetical), one almost-universal formation (1pl present minus -ons plus -ais/-ais/-ait/-ions/-iez/-aient), and the single irregular stem (être → ét-).
- L'Imparfait in Si-Clauses: Hypotheticals, Suggestions, and WishesB1 — How the imparfait pairs with the conditional to express counterfactual hypotheses, and how 'si + imparfait' alone proposes plans, regrets, and wishes.