French 2 / Unit 8: The Future and the Conditional
8.5 Si Clauses
Notes
Si (if) sentences follow two common patterns.
| If clause | Result clause | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| si + présent | futur simple (or present/imperative) | likely condition |
| si + imparfait | conditionnel | unlikely or imaginary |
- Si tu étudies, tu réussiras. (If you study, you will succeed.)
- Si j'avais un million d'euros, je voyagerais. (If I had a million euros, I would travel.)
- Never use the future or conditional right after si: say Si tu étudies (not Si tu étudieras).
- Si + il becomes s'il; si + ils stays si ils.
- Example: S'il fait beau demain, nous irons à la plage.
Practice
Complete: "Si tu étudies, tu ___ (réussir)."
si + présent leads to the futur simple in the result clause.
Complete: "Si j'avais le temps, je ___ (voyager) en Italie."
si + imparfait leads to the conditional.
Which sentence is correct?
Si + il becomes s'il, and the verb after si is in the present.
Ready for more? Take the Unit 8 test.