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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb emmêler

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The English translation of the French verb emmêler is “to tangle” or “to entangle.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “eh-may-lay.”

The origin of the word emmêler can be traced back to the Latin word “maclāre,” meaning “to knot or tangle.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been in use ever since.

In everyday French, the verb emmêler is most often used in the Conditionnel Présent tense, which expresses an action that is conditional or hypothetical in the present or future. It can also express a polite request or suggestion.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Conditionnel Présent tense with their respective translations:

  1. Si je n’avais pas de mains, je ne pourrais pas emmêler mes cheveux. (If I didn’t have hands, I wouldn’t be able to tangle my hair.)
  2. Nous pourrions emmêler les fils électriques si nous ne faisions pas attention. (We could tangle the electrical wires if we’re not careful.)
  3. Est-ce que vous pourriez m’aider à démêler mes bijoux? (Could you help me untangle my jewelry?)

In all of these examples, the verb emmêler is used to describe a situation where things are intertwined or tangled together. It can also be used figuratively to describe a complicated or confusing situation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je emmêlerais Je emmêlerais les fils. I would tangle the wires.
tu emmêlerais Tu emmêlerais tes cheveux. You would mess up your hair.
il emmêlerait Il emmêlerait les papiers. He would mix up the papers.
elle emmêlerait Elle emmêlerait le fil. She would tangle the thread.
on emmêlerait On emmêlerait tout. One would mix everything up.
nous emmêlerions Nous emmêlerions nos affaires. We would mix up our things.
vous emmêleriez Vous emmêleriez les mots. You would mix up the words.
ils emmêleraient Ils emmêleraient la situation. They would complicate the situation.
elles emmêleraient Elles emmêleraient les cartes. They would shuffle the cards.

Other Conjugations for Emmêler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb emmêler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Emmêler – 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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