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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détester

Get the Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) tense conjugation of détester. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb détester is “to hate” or “to detest.” It is pronounced “day-teh-stay” in its infinitive form.

Détester comes from the Latin word “detestari” meaning “to curse or abhor.” In everyday French, it is used to express a strong dislike or aversion towards something or someone.

In the Conditionnel Présent tense, détester is most often used to express a hypothetical or potential action. It can also be used to express politeness or to soften a statement.

Here are three simple examples of détester in the Conditionnel Présent tense with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais plus d’argent, je détesterais travailler. (If I had more money, I would hate to work.)
  2. Tu détesterais cette ville si tu y vivais. (You would hate this city if you lived here.)
  3. Nous détesterions être en retard. (We would hate to be late.)

In these examples, détester is used to express a hypothetical action (not having enough money, living in a certain city, being late) and the resulting feeling of hatred or dislike towards it.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je détesterais Je détesterais ça. I would hate that.
tu détesterais Tu détesterais la nourriture. You would hate the food.
il détesterait Il détesterait ma nouvelle copine. He would hate my new girlfriend.
elle détesterait Elle détesterait aller à l’école. She would hate going to school.
on détesterait On détesterait les moustiques. One would hate mosquitoes.
nous détesterions Nous détesterions les conflits. We would hate conflicts.
vous détesteriez Vous détesteriez le bruit. You would hate the noise.
ils détesteraient Ils détesteraient les mensonges. They would hate lies.
elles détesteraient Elles détesteraient les légumes. They would hate vegetables.

Other Conjugations for Détester.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détester
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the détester Conditionnel Présent tense conjugation!

Détester – 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.

Want More?

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb détester. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts