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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chavirer

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The English translation of the French verb chavirer is “to capsize” or “to overturn.” It is pronounced “sha-vee-reh” in the infinitive form.

Chavirer comes from the Latin word “caput,” meaning “head,” and the suffix “-er,” which indicates a verb. It is most commonly used in nautical contexts, referring to a boat capsizing or overturning in the water. However, it can also be used metaphorically to mean being overwhelmed or thrown off balance.

In the Conditionnel Présent tense, chavirer is typically used to express a possibility or hypothetical situation. It is formed by adding the conditional endings “-ais,” “-ais,” “-ait,” “-ions,” “-iez,” “-aient” to the stem “chavir-.”

Here are three examples of chavirer in the Conditionnel Présent tense:

  1. Si tu étais plus prudent, tu ne chavirerais pas. (If you were more careful, you wouldn’t capsize.)
  2. Nous chavirerions si nous n’avions pas de gilets de sauvetage. (We would capsize if we didn’t have life jackets.)
  3. Si je gagnais à la loterie, je chavirerais de bonheur. (If I won the lottery, I would be overwhelmed with happiness.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je chavirerais Je chavirerais si j’avais peur. I would capsize if I were scared.
tu chavirerais Tu chavirerais au premier coup de vent. You would capsize at the first gust of wind.
il chavirerait Il chavirerait en mer agitée. He would capsize in rough seas.
elle chavirerait Elle chavirerait en kayak. She would capsize in a kayak.
on chavirerait On chavirerait si on n’était pas prudent. One would capsize if one was not careful.
nous chavirerions Nous chavirerions de bonheur. We would be overjoyed.
vous chavireriez Vous chavireriez si vous étiez en mer. You would capsize if you were at sea.
ils chavireraient Ils chavireraient dans les rapides. They would capsize in the rapids.
elles chavireraient Elles chavireraient sur un bateau. They would capsize on a boat.

Other Conjugations for Chavirer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chavirer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Chavirer – 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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