Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb adopter

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The English translation of the French verb adopter is “to adopt.” The infinitive form, adopter, is pronounced as ah-dop-teh.

The language origin of adopter can be traced back to the Latin word “adoptare,” which means “to choose as one’s own.” In French, it is commonly used to refer to the legal process of adopting a child, but it can also have a broader meaning of taking on or accepting something.

In everyday French, adopter is most often used in its Conditionnel Présent tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action or event in the present. This tense is formed by adding the conditional endings -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient to the infinitive form of the verb.

Here are three simple examples of adopter in the Conditionnel Présent tense and their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais plus de temps, j’adopterais un chien.
    (If I had more time, I would adopt a dog.)

  2. Nous adopterions une alimentation plus saine si nous avions plus d’argent.
    (We would adopt a healthier diet if we had more money.)

  3. Vous adopteriez une approche différente si vous aviez plus d’expérience.
    (You would adopt a different approach if you had more experience.)

Table of the Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of adopter

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je adopterais Je adopterais un chien. I would adopt a dog.
tu adopterais Tu adopterais un chat. You would adopt a cat.
il adopterait Il adopterait un enfant. He would adopt a child.
elle adopterait Elle adopterait un bébé. She would adopt a baby.
on adopterait On adopterait des animaux sauvages. One would adopt wild animals.
nous adopterions Nous adopterions une cause. We would adopt a cause.
vous adopteriez Vous adopteriez un orphelin. You would adopt an orphan.
ils adopteraient Ils adopteraient un style de vie différent. They would adopt a different lifestyle.
elles adopteraient Elles adopteraient un régime alimentaire strict. They would adopt a strict diet.

Other Conjugations for Adopter.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
   

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter (this article)

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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Adopter – About the French Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense

The French “Conditionnel Présent” tense, often called the present conditional tense in English, is used to express actions or events that are considered hypothetical, possible, or uncertain in the present or future. It’s the equivalent of “would” or “could” in English.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

To form the Conditionnel Présent tense for regular verbs, you take the infinitive form of the verb and add the appropriate endings. For example, using the verb “parler” (to speak): 

Je parlerais (I would speak) 
Tu parlerais (You would speak)
Il/elle/on parlerait (He/she/one would speak)
Nous parlerions (We would speak) 
Vous parleriez (You would speak)
Ils/elles parleraient (They would speak) 

Note – For irregular verbs, the stem might change, so you need to memorize the conjugation.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Expressing Polite Requests

The Conditionnel Présent is often used to make polite requests or suggestions. Instead of using the imperative, which can be more direct, the conditional is softer and more courteous. For example: “Je voudrais un café, s’il vous plaît” (I would like a coffee, please). 

Expressing Hypothetical Situations

It’s used to talk about hypothetical or unreal situations. For instance, “Si j’avais de l’argent, j’achèterais une nouvelle voiture” (If I had money, I would buy a new car). 

Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty

The conditional can convey doubt or uncertainty about something in the present or future. “Il serait peut-être en retard” (He might be late).

Interactions with Other Tenses

Present Tense

The Conditionnel Présent is often used with the present tense to express hypothetical or conditional statements. For example, “Si tu viens demain, nous irons au cinéma” (If you come tomorrow, we will go to the movies). 

Past Tense

The Conditionnel Présent can also be used with past tenses like the imparfait to indicate a past hypothetical action. For instance, “J’aurais aimé être là hier” (I would have liked to be there yesterday). 

Future Tense

The Conditionnel Présent can be combined with the future tense to indicate future actions that are dependent on certain conditions. For example, “Il viendrait si tu l’invitais” (He would come if you invited him).
 

Conditional Perfect

If you want to express a hypothetical action in the past that didn’t happen, you can use the Conditionnel Présent with the past participle to form the conditional perfect. For example, “Il aurait fini son travail s’il n’était pas tombé malade” (He would have finished his work if he hadn’t gotten sick).

Summary

The Conditionnel Présent is a versatile tense in French, allowing speakers to discuss possibilities, hypothetical scenarios, and make polite requests. It’s essential to understand its usage patterns and how it interacts with other tenses to communicate effectively in various situations.

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