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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb civiliser

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The English translation of the French verb civiliser is “to civilize.” It is pronounced “see-vee-lee-zay” in the infinitive form.

The word “civiliser” comes from the Latin word “civilis” which means “pertaining to citizens” or “civil.” It first appeared in the French language in the 16th century and was used to describe the process of bringing a society or group to a more advanced or cultured state.

In everyday French, “civiliser” is most often used in the Conditionnel Présent (conditional) tense to express actions that would be done if a certain condition is met or to make polite requests.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Conditionnel Présent tense:

  1. Si tu voyages à l’étranger, tu pourrais découvrir de nouvelles cultures et civiliser tes connaissances. (If you travel abroad, you could discover new cultures and broaden your knowledge.)
  2. Je pourrais visiter le musée avec toi si tu me civilisais sur l’art. (I could visit the museum with you if you enlightened me about art.)
  3. Si on collaborait tous ensemble, on pourrait civiliser cette région et en faire un endroit meilleur pour vivre. (If we all worked together, we could civilize this region and make it a better place to live.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je civiliserais Je civiliserais les peuples. I would civilize people.
tu civiliserais Tu ne civiliserais pas les animaux. You would not civilize animals.
il civiliserait Il civiliserait la société. He would civilize society.
elle civiliserait Elle civiliserait les coutumes. She would civilize customs.
on civiliserait On civiliserait les tribus. One would civilize tribes.
nous civiliserions Nous civiliserions les colonies. We would civilize colonies.
vous civiliseriez Vous civiliseriez les pays. You would civilize countries.
ils civiliseraient Ils civiliseraient les régions. They would civilize regions.
elles civiliseraient Elles civiliseraient les cultures. They would civilize cultures.

Other Conjugations for Civiliser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb civiliser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Civiliser – 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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