Question 1

Why do we use the plus-que-parfait (avais choisi) in the first half but the present conditional (serait) in the second half?

Accepted Answer

This is a mixed conditional. It expresses a past condition that didn't happen ('If I had chosen...') leading to a result that affects the present ('...my salary would be better right now'). If the result were also in the past, you would use the past conditional instead: mon salaire aurait été meilleur (my salary would have been better).

Question 2

Does actuel mean 'actual' here?

Accepted Answer

No, actuel is a classic false friend! It means 'current' or 'present'. So mon salaire actuel means 'my current salary'. If you wanted to say 'my actual salary' (as in 'true' or 'real'), you would use a word like réel or véritable.

Question 3

Why use meilleur instead of mieux for 'better'?

Accepted Answer

Meilleur is the comparative form of the adjective bon (good), so it modifies a noun. Here, it describes the noun salaire (my salary would be better). Mieux is the comparative form of the adverb bien (well), which is used to modify verbs (e.g., je travaillerais mieux - I would work better).

Question 4

Why does autre come before the noun (une autre profession) when most French adjectives come after?

Accepted Answer

Autre is one of the common adjectives that precede the noun in French (often remembered by the acronym BANGS for Beauty, Age, Number, Goodness, Size). It almost always comes directly before the noun it modifies, unlike descriptive adjectives like colors or nationalities.

Si j'avais choisi une autre profession, mon salaire actuel serait meilleur.

Breakdown of Si j'avais choisi une autre profession, mon salaire actuel serait meilleur.

Questions & Answers about Si j'avais choisi une autre profession, mon salaire actuel serait meilleur.

Learn Si j'avais choisi une autre profession, mon salaire actuel serait meilleur and more in French