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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bavarder

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The English translation of the French verb bavarder is “to chat” or “to talk.”

The infinitive form of bavarder is pronounced as “bah-vahr-day.”

Bavarder comes from the Old French word “bavard,” meaning “talkative” or “chatterbox.” It is derived from the verb “baver,” which means “to drool.” This is thought to be related to the sound of someone talking excessively or excitedly, like a drooling baby.

In everyday French, bavarder is often used in the Conditionnel Présent tense, which expresses a hypothetical or future action that is dependent on a condition being met. It is often used to make a polite or tentative request, or to express a desire or possibility.

Here are three simple examples of bavarder used in the Conditionnel Présent tense:

  1. Je bavarderais avec mes amis si j’avais plus de temps. (I would chat with my friends if I had more time.)

  2. Tu bavarderais moins si tu étudiais plus. (You would talk less if you studied more.)

  3. Il bavarderait toute la nuit s’il pouvait. (He would chat all night if he could.)

  4. I would chat with my friends if I had more time.

  5. You would talk less if you studied more.

  6. He would chat all night if he could.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bavarderais Je bavarderais avec mes amis. I would chat with my friends.
tu bavarderais Tu bavarderais trop. You would chat too much.
il bavarderait Il bavarderait sur ses vacances. He would chat about his vacation.
elle bavarderait Elle bavarderait tout le temps. She would chat all the time.
on bavarderait On bavarderait en classe. One would chat in class.
nous bavarderions Nous bavarderions au téléphone. We would chat on the phone.
vous bavarderiez Vous bavarderiez pendant le dîner. You would chat during dinner.
ils bavarderaient Ils bavarderaient au café. They would chat at the café.
elles bavarderaient Elles bavarderaient sur le trajet. They would chat during the commute.

Other Conjugations for Bavarder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bavarder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Bavarder – 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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