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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détourner

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The English translation of the French verb détourner is “to divert” or “to turn away.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-toor-nay.”

The word détourner comes from the Latin word “detornare,” meaning “to turn away.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Conditionnel Présent tense, which is used to express hypothetical or potential actions.

Examples:

  1. Si j’avais plus d’argent, je détournerais mes économies pour voyager. (If I had more money, I would divert my savings to travel.)
  2. On pourrait détourner l’attention en posant une question différente. (We could divert attention by asking a different question.)
  3. Vous détourneriez les regards des passants si vous portiez une tenue plus colorée. (You would divert the attention of passersby if you wore a more colorful outfit.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je détournerais Je détournerais les yeux. I would avert my eyes.
tu détournerais Tu détournerais ton regard. You would avert your gaze.
il détournerait Il détournerait les fonds. He would divert the funds.
elle détournerait Elle détournerait son attention. She would divert her attention.
on détournerait On détournerait la conversation. One would change the subject.
nous détournerions Nous détournerions l’affaire. We would divert the matter.
vous détourneriez Vous détourneriez le regard. You would avert your eyes.
ils détourneraient Ils détourneraient les yeux. They would avert their eyes.
elles détourneraient Elles détourneraient l’attention. They would divert the attention.

Other Conjugations for Détourner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détourner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Détourner – 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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