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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cacher

Get the Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) tense conjugation of cacher. 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 cacher is “to hide.” It is pronounced as “ka-shay” in the infinitive form.

Cacher has its origins in the Old French word “cachir,” which comes from the Latin word “coactare,” meaning “to hide.” In everyday French, cacher is most often used in the Conditionnel Présent tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or situation in the present or future.

Three simple examples of cacher in the Conditionnel Présent tense are:

  1. Si j’avais le temps, je cacherais les cadeaux pour la fête. (If I had time, I would hide the presents for the party.)
  2. Est-ce que tu cacherais ton journal intime si j’arrivais à la maison? (Would you hide your diary if I came home?)
  3. Ils cacheraient leur trésor dans un endroit secret. (They would hide their treasure in a secret place.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cacherais Je cacherais mes affaires. I would hide my things.
tu cacherais Tu cacherais mieux ton secret. You would hide your secret better.
il cacherait Il cacherait ses émotions. He would hide his emotions.
elle cacherait Elle cacherait son visage. She would hide her face.
on cacherait On cacherait notre présence. We would hide our presence.
nous cacherions Nous cacherions nos intentions. We would hide our intentions.
vous cacheriez Vous cacheriez la vérité. You would hide the truth.
ils cacheraient Ils cacheraient leur trésor. They would hide their treasure.
elles cacheraient Elles cacheraient leur identité. They would hide their identity.

Other Conjugations for Cacher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cacher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 cacher Conditionnel Présent tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts