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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bidouiller

Get the Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) tense conjugation of bidouiller. 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 bidouiller is “to tinker” or “to mess around with.” It is pronounced “bee-doo-yay.”

Bidouiller comes from the colloquial term “bidouille,” which refers to any small object or gadget that is used to fix or modify something. It originated in the 19th century and is derived from the word “bidoche,” meaning “meat” or “piece of meat.” This term was used to refer to any small scraps or leftovers of meat, and eventually came to mean any small and insignificant object.

In everyday French, bidouiller is most often used in the Conditionnel Présent tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the present. It is often used in a playful or informal way, especially when talking about fixing or modifying something in a creative or unconventional manner.

Examples:

  1. Si j’avais plus de temps, je bidouillerais mon vélo pour qu’il roule plus vite. (If I had more time, I would tinker with my bike to make it go faster.)
  2. Tu devrais bidouiller un peu avec les réglages de ton appareil photo, ça pourrait améliorer tes photos. (You should mess around with the settings on your camera, it could improve your photos.)
  3. On pourrait bidouiller un système pour recycler les bouteilles en verre, ça serait écologique. (We could come up with a system to recycle glass bottles, that would be environmentally friendly.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bidouillerais Je bidouillerais mon ordinateur. I would tinker with my computer.
tu bidouillerais Tu bidouillerais ta voiture. You would tinker with your car.
il bidouillerait Il bidouillerait l’électronique. He would tinker with electronics.
elle bidouillerait Elle bidouillerait la machine. She would tinker with the machine.
on bidouillerait On bidouillerait les appareils. One would tinker with devices.
nous bidouillerions Nous bidouillerions les câbles. We would tinker with cables.
vous bidouilleriez Vous bidouilleriez le réseau. You would tinker with the network.
ils bidouilleraient Ils bidouilleraient les gadgets. They would tinker with gadgets.
elles bidouilleraient Elles bidouilleraient les outils. They would tinker with tools.

Other Conjugations for Bidouiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bidouiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 bidouiller Conditionnel Présent tense conjugation!

Bidouiller – 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 bidouiller. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply