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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chansonner

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The English translation of the French verb chansonner is “to sing a song” or “to croon.” It is pronounced as “shahn-so-nay.”

The word chansonner comes from the Old French word “chansoner,” which means “to sing a song.” It is derived from the Latin word “cantionem,” meaning “singing, song.” Chansonner is most commonly used in everyday French to refer to singing or performing a song.

In the Conditionnel Présent tense, chansonner is used to express a possible action or event in the future, usually with a condition attached. Here are three simple examples of how chansonner is used in this tense:

  1. Si j’étais chanteur, je chansonnerais pour toi. (If I were a singer, I would sing a song for you.)

  2. Il pourrait chansonner à la fête ce soir. (He might sing a song at the party tonight.)

  3. Nous chansonnerions ensemble si nous avions une guitare. (We would sing a song together if we had a guitar.)

  4. If I were a singer, I would sing a song for you.

  5. He might sing a song at the party tonight.

  6. We would sing a song together if we had a guitar.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je chanterais Je chanterais une chanson. I would sing a song.
tu chanterais Tu chanterais mieux. You would sing better.
il chanterait Il chanterait en français. He would sing in French.
elle chanterait Elle chanterait une berceuse. She would sing a lullaby.
on chanterait On chanterait ensemble. One would sing together.
nous chanterions Nous chanterions une sérénade. We would sing a serenade.
vous chanteriez Vous chanteriez une chansonnette. You would sing a ditty.
ils chanteraient Ils chanteraient en choeur. They would sing in chorus.
elles chanteraient Elles chanteraient une ballade. They would sing a ballad.

Other Conjugations for Chansonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chansonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Chansonner – 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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