Neues Konzept
If things were different
To imagine a present that isn't real — or isn't likely — French puts si with the imparfait, and the result in the conditional:
- Si j'avais le temps, je viendrais. — If I had time, I'd come. (I don't.)
- Si on habitait au bord de la mer, on se baignerait tous les jours. — If we lived by the sea, we'd swim every day.
You already know both forms. They share their endings; only the stem changes:
| Pronoun | Imparfait — after si | Conditional — the result |
|---|---|---|
| je / j' | si j'avais | j'aurais |
| tu | si tu avais | tu aurais |
| il / elle / on | s'il avait | il aurait |
| nous | si nous avions | nous aurions |
| vous | si vous aviez | vous auriez |
| ils / elles | s'ils avaient | ils auraient |
- The imparfait is built on the nous stem (nous av-ons) — except être, which uses ét-: si j'étais.
- The conditional is built on the future stem. The irregular ones carry over: ser- (être), aur- (avoir), ir- (aller), fer- (faire), pourr- (pouvoir), viendr- (venir).