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FrenchConjugationConditionnel

Avoir (to have) · Conditionnel

By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated

Avoir in the French conditionnel présent is: j'aurais, tu aurais, il/elle/on aurait, nous aurions, vous auriez, ils/elles auraient. The conditionnel présent of avoir uses the same irregular stem 'aur-' as the futur, with imperfect endings: aurais, aurais, aurait, aurions, auriez, auraient. 'J'aurais besoin d'aide' = 'I would need help'. Heavily used for polite requests.

avoir conjugation in the Conditionnel Présent
To HaveAvoir
I would have
j'aurais
you would have
tu aurais
he/she would have
il/elle/on aurait
we would have
nous aurions
you would have
vous auriez
they would have
ils/elles auraient
Examples

Avoir (to have) in context

Sentences that use avoir in the conditionnel. Tap each to hear it.

J'aurais besoin d'aide.

I would need help.

Tu aurais le temps demain?

Would you have time tomorrow?

Il aurait dû me le dire.

He should have told me.

Nous aurions préféré rester.

We would have preferred to stay.

Vous auriez un instant?

Would you have a moment?

Ils auraient voulu venir.

They would have liked to come.

Tip

Working with the conditionnel

The conditionnel présent ("je parlerais") expresses what would happen if a condition were met ("si j'avais le temps, je voyagerais" — if I had time, I would travel). It's also the standard form for polite requests in French: "je voudrais" (I would like) is the polite version of "je veux"; "pourriez-vous" (could you) is the polite version of "pouvez-vous". Structurally, the conditionnel uses the same stem as the futur with imperfect endings: parler- + -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. Knowing the futur stem of any verb gives you the conditionnel for free — one of the most efficient pedagogy points in French.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How do you conjugate avoir in the conditionnel?
The conditionnel présent of avoir is: j'aurais, tu aurais, il/elle/on aurait, nous aurions, vous auriez, ils/elles auraient. The same irregular stem 'aur-' used in the futur, plus imperfect endings (-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient).
When is 'j'aurais' used for politeness?
'J'aurais' is the standard French phrasing for polite requests: 'j'aurais besoin d'un café' (I would need a coffee = I'd like a coffee), 'j'aurais une question' (I have a question — softened). Compare with the more direct 'j'ai' (I have) — the conditionnel softens any request and is the default in shops, restaurants, and formal contexts. English speakers often under-use this softening structure.
How does 'j'aurais + participle' work for the past conditional?
'J'aurais + past participle' is the conditionnel passé (past conditional), meaning 'I would have + done X': 'j'aurais aimé venir' (I would have liked to come), 'tu aurais dû me le dire' (you should have told me — common with devoir). It expresses regret, missed opportunity, or hypothetical past: 'si j'avais su, je serais venu' (if I had known, I would have come). The structure: conditionnel of avoir/être + past participle.
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More tenses of Avoir (To Have)

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Avoir (to have) · Futur

More verbs in conditionnel

All tenses
Avoir (to have)
conditionnel
Être (to be)
conditionnel
Aller (to go)
conditionnel
Faire (to do)
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