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Sample lessons › Level B1 › Verbs, Tenses & Conjugation

Si clauses – real and hypothetical

Si j'avais de l'argent, je voyagerais

Si (if) clauses follow strict tense patterns. The two you need first:

1. Real possibility: si + présent → futur / présent / impératif

  • S'il fait beau, nous irons à la plage.If the weather's nice, we'll go to the beach.
  • Si tu as faim, mange quelque chose.If you're hungry, eat something.
  • Si on chauffe l'eau à 100 degrés, elle bout.If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils.

2. Hypothetical / unlikely: si + imparfait → conditionnel

  • Si j'étais riche, j'achèterais une maison.If I were rich, I'd buy a house.
  • Si tu travaillais plus, tu réussirais.If you worked more, you'd succeed.
  • Si j'étais toi, je partirais.If I were you, I'd leave.

The imparfait here doesn't refer to the past: it signals that the situation is imaginary.

Never the future or conditional after si

  • Si j'aurais le temps → Si j'avais le temps
  • S'il pleuvra → S'il pleut

The si clause can come first or second: J'achèterais une maison si j'étais riche.

Elision: s'il, s'ils

Si elides only before il and ils: s'il, s'ils. But si elle, si on.

Suggestions

Si + imparfait alone makes a suggestion:

  • Si on allait au cinéma ?How about going to the cinema?

The third pattern (si + plus-que-parfait) is for impossible past situations: Si + plus-que-parfait → conditionnel passé.

Practice

  1. Si tu _____ ta chambre, tu pourras sortir.
    Options: ranges · rangeras · rangerais
    Show the answer

    ranges

  2. Si j'_____ le temps, je lirais plus.
    Options: avais · aurais · ai
    Show the answer

    avais

  3. Si nous gagnions au loto, nous _____ le monde.
    Options: visiterions · visiterons · visitions
    Show the answer

    visiterions

  4. If he comes, I'll be happy.
    Options: S'il vient, je serai content. · Si il viendra, je serai content. · S'il viendrait, je serai content.
    Show the answer

    S'il vient, je serai content.

In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days until you've mastered it.
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