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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bourdonner

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The English translation of the French verb bourdonner is “to buzz” or “to hum.” It is pronounced as “boor-doh-nay.”

The word bourdonner comes from the Old French word “bourdon,” meaning “bumblebee.” It is derived from the Latin word “burdo,” meaning “drone” or “buzzing sound.” In everyday French, bourdonner is often used in the Conditionnel Présent tense, which is the equivalent of the English “would + verb.”

Examples:

  1. Si j’avais un jardin, les abeilles bourdonneraient autour des fleurs. (If I had a garden, bees would buzz around the flowers.)
  2. Il faudrait que je fasse réparer mon vélo, il bourdonne quand je pédale. (I should get my bike fixed, it buzzes when I pedal.)
  3. Si tu me laissais tranquille, je ne bourdonnerais pas dans tes oreilles. (If you left me alone, I wouldn’t buzz in your ears.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bourdonnerais Je bourdonnerais comme une abeille. I would buzz like a bee.
tu bourdonnerais Tu bourdonnerais autour de moi. You would buzz around me.
il bourdonnerait Il bourdonnerait dans la rue. He would buzz in the street.
elle bourdonnerait Elle bourdonnerait dans le jardin. She would buzz in the garden.
on bourdonnerait On bourdonnerait dans la forêt. One would buzz in the forest.
nous bourdonnerions Nous bourdonnerions au printemps. We would buzz in the spring.
vous bourdonneriez Vous bourdonneriez en été. You would buzz in the summer.
ils bourdonneraient Ils bourdonneraient autour de la ruche. They would buzz around the hive.
elles bourdonneraient Elles bourdonneraient dans les fleurs. They would buzz in the flowers.

Other Conjugations for Bourdonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bourdonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Bourdonner – 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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