Dire (to say) · Conditionnel
By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated
Dire in the French conditionnel présent is: je dirais, tu dirais, il/elle/on dirait, nous dirions, vous diriez, ils/elles diraient. The conditionnel présent of dire uses the same irregular stem 'dir-' as the futur, plus imperfect endings: je dirais. Common politeness/hedging structure: 'je dirais que...' (I would say that...) is the French equivalent of English softening with 'I would say'.
| To Say | Dire |
|---|---|
| I would say | je dirais |
| you would say | tu dirais |
| he/she would say | il/elle/on dirait |
| we would say | nous dirions |
| you would say | vous diriez |
| they would say | ils/elles diraient |
Dire (to say) in context
Sentences that use dire in the conditionnel. Tap each to hear it.
I would say it's a good idea.
What would you say in his/her place?
He would say the same thing, I'm sure.
We would say the same thing.
You would say no, I know it.
They would tell the truth if asked.
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.
Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate dire in the conditionnel?
What does 'je dirais que...' mean?
How is 'on dirait que' used?
Practice Dire (To Say) in real conversations
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