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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb copier

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The English translation of the French verb copier is “to copy.” The infinitive form, copier, is pronounced as “koh-pee-ey.”

The word copier comes from the Latin word “copiare” which means “to make an impression” or “to transcribe.” It entered the French language in the 14th century and has been used to refer to the act of reproducing something in writing or in another medium ever since.

In everyday French, copier is most often used in the Conditionnel Présent tense to express a hypothetical or potential action. It is often used in conditional sentences or in polite requests.

Here are three examples of copier used in the Conditionnel Présent tense:

  1. Si j’avais plus de temps, je copierais ton devoir. (If I had more time, I would copy your homework.)
  2. Je te demanderais de me copier ces documents, s’il te plaît. (I would ask you to copy these documents for me, please.)
  3. Elle copierait ses notes pour son ami s’il le lui demandait. (She would copy her notes for her friend if he asked her to.)

In all of these examples, the usage of copier in the Conditionnel Présent tense expresses a hypothetical or potential action that could happen in the future. It is often used to discuss a course of action that is dependent on certain conditions being met.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je copierais Je copierais le document. I would copy the document.
tu copierais Tu copierais cette photo. You would copy this photo.
il copierait Il copierait la clé USB. He would copy the USB key.
elle copierait Elle copierait les notes de cours. She would copy the class notes.
on copierait On copierait les informations. One would copy the information.
nous copierions Nous copierions le dossier entier. We would copy the entire folder.
vous copieriez Vous copieriez les données. You would copy the data.
ils copieraient Ils copieraient le code. They would copy the code.
elles copieraient Elles copieraient le livre. They would copy the book.

Other Conjugations for Copier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb copier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Copier – 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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