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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bidonner

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The English translation of the French verb bidonner is “to make a joke” or “to joke around.” The infinitive form of bidonner is pronounced “bee-doh-nay.”

Bidonner comes from the word “bidon,” which originally meant “canteen” or “water bottle.” Over time, it came to be used in colloquial French to refer to something false or deceitful. From there, it evolved to mean “to make a joke” or “to joke around.”

In everyday French, bidonner is most often used in the Conditionnel Présent tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or possible action. It is often used in a playful or humorous way.

Examples:

  1. Si j’avais plus de temps, je bidonnerais avec mes amis tous les jours. (If I had more time, I would joke around with my friends every day.)
  2. Tu bidonnerais plus souvent si tu n’étais pas si sérieux tout le temps. (You would joke around more often if you weren’t so serious all the time.)
  3. Nous bidonnerions sûrement si nous étions ensemble. (We would probably joke around if we were together.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bidonnerais Je bidonnerais si j’avais le temps. I would joke around if I had time.
tu bidonnerais Tu bidonnerais avec moi. You would joke around with me.
il bidonnerait Il bidonnerait pour faire rire les autres. He would joke around to make others laugh.
elle bidonnerait Elle ne bidonnerait pas en public. She would not joke around in public.
on bidonnerait On bidonnerait sur notre prochain projet. We would joke around about our next project.
nous bidonnerions Nous bidonnerions devant la caméra. We would joke around in front of the camera.
vous bidonneriez Vous ne bidonneriez pas avec lui. You would not joke around with him.
ils bidonneraient Ils bidonneraient pendant la fête. They would joke around during the party.
elles bidonneraient Elles se bidonneraient en secret. They would joke around in secret.

Other Conjugations for Bidonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bidonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Bidonner – 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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