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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb ballotter

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The English translation of the French verb ballotter is “to toss, to jostle, to sway.” It is pronounced buh-loh-tay in its infinitive form.

The word ballotter comes from the Old French word “bale,” meaning “to dance or swing,” and the noun suffix “-et,” indicating a small or repeated movement. It entered the French language in the late 14th century.

In everyday French, the verb ballotter is often used in the Conditionnel Présent tense, which expresses a possible action or event in the present or future. It is also commonly used to express a hypothetical or polite request.

Examples:

  1. Si j’avais plus d’argent, je ballotterais entre aller en vacances ou acheter une nouvelle voiture. (If I had more money, I would be torn between going on vacation or buying a new car.)
  2. Je ballotterais mon café si je pouvais trouver une cuillère. (I would stir my coffee if I could find a spoon.)
  3. Je ballotterais ton idée si elle était plus claire. (I would consider your idea if it were clearer.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je ballotterais Je ballotterais dans l’eau. I would be tossed around in the water.
tu ballotterais Tu ballotterais au gré du vent. You would be tossed around by the wind.
il ballotterait Il ballotterait dans les vagues. He would be tossed around in the waves.
elle ballotterait Elle ballotterait sur le bateau. She would be tossed around on the boat.
on ballotterait On ballotterait dans le courant. One would be tossed around in the current.
nous ballotterions Nous ballotterions en mer. We would be tossed around at sea.
vous ballotteriez Vous ballotteriez sur une bouée. You would be tossed around on a buoy.
ils ballotteraient Ils ballotteraient dans les rapides. They would be tossed around in the rapids.
elles ballotteraient Elles ballotteraient dans la tempête. They would be tossed around in the storm.

Other Conjugations for Ballotter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Ballotter – 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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