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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb côtoyer

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The English translation of the French verb côtoyer is “to rub shoulders with” or “to be near.” The infinitive form is pronounced “koh-twa-yay.”

Côtoyer comes from the Latin word “cotare,” meaning “to touch” or “to border.” It entered the French language in the 17th century and is derived from the word “côté,” meaning “side.”

In everyday French, côtoyer is most often used in the Conditionnel Présent tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain situation.

  1. Si j’avais plus de temps, je côtoierais des artistes célèbres. (If I had more time, I would rub shoulders with famous artists.)
  2. Il faudrait que tu côtoies des personnes plus motivées pour réussir. (You should rub shoulders with more motivated people in order to succeed.)
  3. Si elle était plus sociable, elle côtoierait plus de monde. (If she were more sociable, she would be around more people.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je côtoierais Je côtoierais mes voisins. I would interact with my neighbors.
tu côtoierais Tu côtoierais tes collègues. You would interact with your colleagues.
il côtoierait Il côtoierait ses amis. He would interact with his friends.
elle côtoierait Elle côtoierait ses parents. She would interact with her parents.
on côtoierait On côtoierait des étrangers. One would interact with strangers.
nous côtoierions Nous côtoierions d’autres cultures. We would interact with other cultures.
vous côtoieriez Vous côtoieriez des célébrités. You would interact with celebrities.
ils côtoieraient Ils côtoieraient leurs voisins. They would interact with their neighbors.
elles côtoieraient Elles côtoieraient de nouvelles personnes. They would interact with new people.

Other Conjugations for Côtoyer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Côtoyer – 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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