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FrenchConjugationConditionnel

Pouvoir (can) · Conditionnel

By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated

Pouvoir in the French conditionnel présent is: je pourrais, tu pourrais, il/elle/on pourrait, nous pourrions, vous pourriez, ils/elles pourraient. The conditionnel présent of pouvoir uses the same irregular stem 'pourr-' as the futur, plus imperfect endings. 'Je pourrais venir' = 'I could come'. This is the polite-request workhorse — 'pourriez-vous...?' is the standard formal way to ask for anything.

pouvoir conjugation in the Conditionnel Présent
To Be AblePouvoir
I could
je pourrais
you could
tu pourrais
he/she could
il/elle/on pourrait
we could
nous pourrions
you could
vous pourriez
they could
ils/elles pourraient
Examples

Pouvoir (can) in context

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

Je pourrais venir demain si tu veux.

I could come tomorrow if you want.

Pourrais-tu m'aider, s'il te plaît?

Could you help me, please?

Il pourrait finir plus vite avec de l'aide.

He could finish faster with help.

Nous pourrions dîner ensemble vendredi.

We could have dinner together Friday.

Pourriez-vous m'expliquer ce point?

Could you explain this point to me?

Ils pourraient venir plus tôt.

They could come earlier.

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 pouvoir in the conditionnel?
The conditionnel of pouvoir is: je pourrais, tu pourrais, il/elle/on pourrait, nous pourrions, vous pourriez, ils/elles pourraient. Same double-r stem 'pourr-' as the futur, plus imperfect endings.
Why is 'pourriez-vous' the polite-request default?
'Pourriez-vous + infinitive' = 'could you + verb' — the standard formal/polite request structure in French. The conditional 'pourriez' (rather than indicative 'pouvez') softens the request, making it less demanding. Equivalents: 'pourriez-vous m'aider?' (could you help me?), 'pourriez-vous me dire l'heure?' (could you tell me the time?). Native French speakers expect this conditional in shops, restaurants, and formal correspondence — using 'pouvez-vous' instead can feel slightly abrupt.
What does 'on pourrait + infinitive' mean?
'On pourrait + infinitive' = 'we could / one could + verb' — used to suggest doing something: 'on pourrait aller au cinéma' (we could go to the cinema), 'on pourrait essayer' (we could try). It's the soft-suggestion structure that English uses with 'we could' or 'how about'. The 'on' (informal we) is more common than 'nous pourrions' in spoken French.
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More tenses of Pouvoir (Can)

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Pouvoir (can) · Futur

More verbs in conditionnel

All tenses
Pouvoir (can)
conditionnel
Être (to be)
conditionnel
Avoir (to have)
conditionnel
Aller (to go)
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