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FrenchConjugationConditionnel

Être (to be) · Conditionnel

By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated

Être in the French conditionnel présent is: je serais, tu serais, il/elle/on serait, nous serions, vous seriez, ils/elles seraient. The conditionnel présent of être uses the same irregular stem 'ser-' as the futur, with imperfect endings: serais, serais, serait, serions, seriez, seraient. 'Je serais content de t'aider' = 'I would be happy to help you'. The conditionnel is heavily used for politeness, hypotheticals, and reported future-in-past.

être conjugation in the Conditionnel Présent
To BeÊtre
I would be
je serais
you would be
tu serais
he/she would be
il/elle/on serait
we would be
nous serions
you would be
vous seriez
they would be
ils/elles seraient
Examples

Être (to be) in context

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

Je serais content de t'aider.

I would be happy to help you.

Tu serais parfait pour ce rôle.

You would be perfect for this role.

Il serait sage de partir tôt.

It would be wise to leave early.

Nous serions ravis de venir.

We would be delighted to come.

Vous seriez déçus, c'est sûr.

You would be disappointed, for sure.

Ils seraient plus heureux ailleurs.

They would be happier elsewhere.

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 être in the conditionnel?
The conditionnel présent of être is: je serais, tu serais, il/elle/on serait, nous serions, vous seriez, ils/elles seraient. The same irregular stem 'ser-' used in the futur, plus the imperfect endings (-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient). Once you know the futur, the conditionnel comes for free.
What's the difference between futur 'serai' and conditionnel 'serais'?
'Je serai' (futur) = I WILL be (commitment to future fact). 'Je serais' (conditionnel) = I WOULD be (hypothetical, polite, or conditional). Pronounced almost identically in spoken French — the difference is one letter that matters enormously in meaning. The conditionnel is what powers 'si j'avais...' (if I had...) hypotheticals: 'Si j'avais le temps, je serais là' (If I had time, I would be there).
When do I use the conditionnel of être?
Use it for: 1) Hypothetical statements with 'si + imparfait' ('si j'étais riche, je serais heureux' — if I were rich, I'd be happy), 2) Polite requests or suggestions ('ce serait gentil' — that would be nice), 3) Reported future-in-past ('il a dit qu'il serait là' — he said he would be there), 4) Hedged opinions ('il serait malade selon ma mère' — he might be sick according to my mother). The conditionnel is one of French's most-used moods for politeness.
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More tenses of Être (To Be)

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Être (to be) · Futur

More verbs in conditionnel

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