French word

conditionnel

Pronunciation

IPA/kɔ̃disjonɛl/

Meaning

  • masculine nounconditional mood

Example

Le conditionnel sert à exprimer des actions hypothétiques.

The conditional mood is used to express hypothetical actions.

Illustration for conditionnel (conditional mood)

More examples

On forme souvent une demande polie au conditionnel.

A polite request is often formed in the conditional mood.

Core concept

A grammatical stance that keeps an action possible rather than asserted and can soften a wish or request.

Common phrases

  • au conditionnel

    in the conditional mood

  • le conditionnel présent

    present conditional

Similar words

indicatif: A verb form used to state facts or events regarded as real.
subjonctif: A verb form used to express wishes or hopes.
imparfait: A verb form describing habitual past events or ongoing past states.

Definition in French

Le conditionnel sert à envisager une action soumise à une condition non réalisée, ou à formuler un souhait ou une demande polie.

Word origin

French conditionnel developed from condition, which comes through French from the Latin noun conditio, meaning 'condition'.

Usage tips

  • As a noun, conditionnel is masculine in French: le conditionnel; as an adjective, conditionnel changes form to agree with a noun.

Other meanings

  • conditionaladjective
  • hypotheticaladjective

Opposites

  • indicatifindicative moodnoun

Word lists with this word