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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb citer

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The English translation of the French verb citer is “to cite” or “to quote.” The infinitive form is pronounced “see-tay.”

The word citer comes from the Latin word citare, meaning “to summon” or “to call upon.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used in its current form since the 17th century.

In everyday French, citer is commonly used in the Conditionnel Présent tense, which expresses actions that are hypothetical or possible, but not certain. It can also be used to express politeness or make a request.

Example 1: Si j’avais plus de temps, je citerais ton travail dans mon article. (If I had more time, I would cite your work in my article.)
Example 2: Je citerais volontiers cette phrase pour illustrer mon point. (I would gladly quote this sentence to illustrate my point.)
Example 3: Tu pourrais citer tes sources pour éviter d’être accusé de plagiat. (You could cite your sources to avoid being accused of plagiarism.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je citerais Je citerais le livre. I would quote the book.
tu citerais Tu citerais les sources. You would cite the sources.
il citerait Il citerait la phrase. He would quote the sentence.
elle citerait Elle citerait l’auteur. She would cite the author.
on citerait On citerait l’article. One would quote the article.
nous citerions Nous citerions nos sources. We would cite our sources.
vous citeriez Vous citeriez le texte. You would quote the text.
ils citeraient Ils citeraient le chapitre. They would quote the chapter.
elles citeraient Elles citeraient les données. They would cite the data.

Other Conjugations for Citer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Citer – 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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