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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb appréhender

Get the Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) tense conjugation of appréhender. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb appréhender is “to apprehend” or “to understand”. It is pronounced as “ah-pray-ahn-dre” in its infinitive form.

Appréhender comes from the Latin word “apprehendere” which means “to grasp or seize”. It entered the French language in the 13th century and originally referred to the physical act of seizing someone or something. Over time, its meaning evolved to include the understanding or comprehension of something.

In everyday French, appréhender is commonly used in the Conditionnel Présent tense, which expresses a possibility or hypothetical action. It is often used to talk about understanding or grasping a concept or situation.

Here are three simple examples of appréhender used in the Conditionnel Présent tense, with their English translations:

  1. Si j’appréhendais mieux la situation, je pourrais peut-être trouver une solution. (If I understood the situation better, I might be able to find a solution.)

  2. Il faudrait qu’elle appréhende les conséquences de ses actions avant d’agir. (She should understand the consequences of her actions before acting.)

  3. Nous appréhenderions mieux la culture locale si nous parlions la langue. (We would understand the local culture better if we spoke the language.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je appréhenderais Je appréhenderais la situation. I would apprehend the situation.
tu appréhenderais Tu appréhenderais ta première fois. You would apprehend your first time.
il appréhenderait Il appréhenderait bien sa peur. He would apprehend his fear well.
elle appréhenderait Elle appréhenderait le changement. She would apprehend the change.
on appréhenderait On appréhenderait le futur. One would apprehend the future.
nous appréhenderions Nous appréhenderions le problème. We would apprehend the problem.
vous appréhenderiez Vous appréhenderiez la vérité. You would apprehend the truth.
ils appréhenderaient Ils appréhenderaient la conséquence. They would apprehend the consequence.
elles appréhenderaient Elles appréhenderaient la gravité. They would apprehend the gravity.

Other Conjugations for Appréhender.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appréhender
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the appréhender Conditionnel Présent tense conjugation!

Appréhender – 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.

Want More?

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb appréhender. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply