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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désirer

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The English translation of désirer is “to desire.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-zee-ray.”

Désirer comes from the Latin word “desiderare,” which means “to long for” or “to miss.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used in everyday French ever since.

In the Conditionnel Présent tense, désirer is most often used to express a wish or desire that may or may not come true in the future.

Examples:

  1. Je désirerais voyager à travers l’Europe un jour. (I would like to travel through Europe one day.)

  2. Il désirerait avoir plus de temps pour sa famille. (He would like to have more time for his family.)

  3. Elle désirerait que son mari l’accompagne à la soirée. (She would like her husband to accompany her to the party.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désirerais Je désirerais voyager. I would desire to travel.
tu désirerais Tu désirerais partir. You would desire to leave.
il désirerait Il désirerait une promotion. He would desire a promotion.
elle désirerait Elle désirerait une voiture. She would desire a car.
on désirerait On désirerait une maison. One would desire a house.
nous désirerions Nous désirerions plus de temps. We would desire more time.
vous désireriez Vous désireriez un nouveau téléphone. You would desire a new phone.
ils désireraient Ils désireraient voyager. They would desire to travel.
elles désireraient Elles désireraient changer de carrière. They would desire to change careers.

Other Conjugations for Désirer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Désirer – 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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