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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb configurer

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The English translation of the French verb configurer is “to configure.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “koh(n)-fee-guh-rey.”

The word configurer comes from the Latin word “configurare,” meaning “to shape, form, or arrange.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and has been adapted to its current form over time.

In everyday French, configurer is often used in the Conditionnel Présent tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or possible action in the present or future. It is formed by using the conditional stem of the verb (configur-) and adding the appropriate endings (-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient).

Here are three examples of configurer in the Conditionnel Présent tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais plus de temps, je configurerais mon ordinateur pour qu’il soit plus rapide.
    (If I had more time, I would configure my computer to make it faster.)

  2. Elle nous a demandé si nous configurions notre téléphone pour pouvoir recevoir des appels à l’étranger.
    (She asked us if we were configuring our phone to be able to receive calls abroad.)

  3. Nous configurions nos comptes en ligne pour qu’ils soient plus sécurisés.
    (We were configuring our online accounts to make them more secure.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je configurerais Je configurerais mon ordinateur. I would configure my computer.
tu configurerais Tu configurerais le réseau. You would configure the network.
il configurerait Il configurerait les paramètres. He would configure the settings.
elle configurerait Elle configurerait l’imprimante. She would configure the printer.
on configurerait On configurerait les appareils. One would configure the devices.
nous configurerions Nous configurerions la sécurité. We would configure the security.
vous configureriez Vous configureriez les logiciels. You would configure the software.
ils configureraient Ils configureraient le serveur. They would configure the server.
elles configureraient Elles configureraient le système. They would configure the system.

Other Conjugations for Configurer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb configurer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Configurer – 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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