Si Clauses - French If-Then Clauses - French Conditionals
Many students of French have a hard time with si clauses (also known as conditionals or conditional sentences), but they are really quite simple.
There are three main types of si clauses:
- First conditional: Likely situations (present + present, future, or imperative)
- Second conditional: Unlikely situations (imperfect + conditional)
- Third conditional: Impossible situations (pluperfect + conditional perfect)
The first verb tense listed is the one that follows si (if), while the second tense is the result clause - the event that is dependent on the first. In English, the "result clause" is often preceded by "then."
All you have to do is memorize the verb tense pairs and you're all set.
1. Si Clauses - French If-Then ClausesLikely Situations
There are three constructions for expressing likely situations (the first conditional).
Present - Present
This construction is used for things that happen regularly. Note that the si in these sentences could probably be replaced by quand (when) with little or no difference in meaning.
S'il pleut, nous ne sortons pas - If it rains, we don't go out.
Nous ne sortons pas s'il pleut - We don't go out if it rains.
Si je ne veux pas lire je regarde la télé - If I don't want to read I watch TV.
Je regarde la télé si je ne veux pas lire - I watch TV if I don't want to read.
Present - Future
The present - future construction is used for events that are likely to occur. The present follows si; it is the situation that is required before the other action can take place.
Si j'ai le temps, je le ferai - If I have time, I will do it.
Je le ferai si j'ai le temps - I will do it if I have time.
Si tu étudies, tu seras intelligent - If you study, you will be smart.
Tu seras intelligent si tu étudies - You will be smart if you study.
Present - Imperative
This construction is used to give an order that is dependent on something. The present follows si; it is the situation that is required before the other action becomes a command.
Si tu peux, viens me voir - If you can, come see me.
Viens me voir si tu peux - Come see me if you can.
(If you can't, then don't worry about it.)
Si vous avez de l'argent, payez la facture - If you have money, pay the bill.
Payez la facture si vous avez de l'argent - Pay the bill if you have money.
(If you don't have money, someone else will take care of it.)
2. Si Clauses - French If-Then ClausesUnlikely Situations
The imperfect - conditional construction is used to express something that is contrary to present fact or unlikely to occur (the second conditional). The imperfect follows si; it is the condition that must be met before the conditional action can take place.
Si j'avais le temps, je le ferais - If I had time, I would do it.
Je le ferais si j'avais le temps - I would do it if I had time.
(Fact: I don't have time, but if I did [contrary to fact], I would do it.)
Si tu étudiais, tu serais intelligent - If you studied, you would be smart.
Tu serais intelligent si tu étudiais - You would be smart if you studied.
(Fact: You don't study, but if you did [unlikely to occur], you would be smart.)
3. Si Clauses - French If-Then ClausesImpossible/Hypothetical Situations
The pluperfect - conditional perfect construction is used to express a hypothetical situation that is contrary to past fact (the third conditional). The pluperfectfollows si; it is the event that would have had to be different in order for the other event (conditional perfect) to have been possible.
Si j'avais eu le temps, je l'aurais fait - If I had had time, I would have done it.
Je l'aurais fait si j'avais eu le temps - I would have done it if I had had time.
(Fact: I didn't have time so I didn't do it)
Si tu avais étudié, tu aurais été intelligent - If you had studied, you would have been smart.
Tu aurais été intelligent si tu avais étudié - You would have been smart if you had studied.
(Fact: You didn't study so you weren't smart)
Si elle vous avait vu, elle vous aurait aidé - If she had seen you, she would have helped you.
Elle vous aurait aidé si elle vous avait vu - She would have helped you if she had seen you.
(Fact: She didn't see you so she didn't help you)
In literary or other very formal writing, both verbs in the pluperfect - conditional perfect construction are replaced by the conditional perfect, second form.
Si j'eusse eu le temps, je l'eusse fait.
Si vous eussiez étudié, vous eussiez été intelligent.
Si elle vous eût vu, elle vous eût aidé.
Si Clauses - French If-Then Clauses - Test
Test yourself on si clauses by translating the following sentences into French.
1. If I were rich, I would buy a house.
2. If you're not tired, tell me a story.
3. We would have eaten if they had been ready.
4. If she gives you some money, will you buy a car?
5. I will go to the market if you do the dishes.
6. If he's happy, he laughs all day.
7. If they had wanted bread, they would have told me.
8. Your brothers would cry if you fell.
9. If you have the camera, take a picture.
10. Will we survive if you lose your job?
11. If I pass the test, we'll celebrate.
12. If you wanted to study, you should have told them.
13. I can't sleep if it's hot.
14. If you're hungry, eat something.
15. He'll be happy if he gets married.
Answers
1. Si j'étais riche, j'achèterais une maison.
2. Si tu n'es pas fatigué, raconte-moi une histoire.
3. Nous aurions mangé s'ils avaient été prêts.
4. Si elle te donne de l'argent, achèteras-tu une voiture ?
5. J'irai au marché si tu fais la vaiselle.
6. S'il est heureux, il rit pendant toute la journée.
7. S'ils avaient voulu du pain, ils me l'auraient dit.
8. Tes frères pleureraient si tu tombais.
9. Si tu as (vous avez) l'appareil-photo, prends (prenez) une photo.
10. Est-ce que nous survivrons si tu perds ton emploi ?
11. Si je réussis à l'examen, nous célébrerons.
12. Si tu avais voulu étudier, tu aurais dû le leur dire.
13. Je ne peux pas dormir s'il fait chaud.
14. Si tu as (vous avez) faim, mange (mangez) quelque chose.
15. Il sera content/heureux s'il se marie.