The future and conditional: all the irregular stems

International GCSE uses the future and conditional of all common verbs, not just -er verbs. Learn the irregular stems once and use them for both tenses.

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One stem, two tenses

Future = stem + -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont. Conditional = the same stem + -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.
Regular stem = the infinitive (-re verbs drop the e): je jouerai, je finirai, je prendrai; je jouerais, je finirais, je prendrais.
Spelling changes: acheter: j'achèterai, appeler: j'appellerai.

Irregular stems

VerbStemFutureConditional
allerir-j'iraij'irais
avoiraur-j'auraij'aurais
êtreser-je seraije serais
fairefer-je feraije ferais
pouvoirpourr-je pourraije pourrais
devoirdevr-je devraije devrais
vouloirvoudr-je voudraije voudrais
venirviendr-je viendraije viendrais
voirverr-je verraije verrais
savoirsaur-je sauraije saurais
envoyerenverr-j'enverraij'enverrais
recevoirrecevr-je recevraije recevrais
il fautfaudr-il faudrail faudrait
il pleutpleuvr-il pleuvrail pleuvrait

Si sentences

Si + present, then future: S'il fait beau, nous irons à la plage. (If the weather is nice, we will go to the beach.)
Si + imperfect, then conditional: Si j'avais de l'argent, je voyagerais. (If I had money, I would travel.)
Never put the future or conditional straight after si.
Worked example

Translate: If I pass my exams, I will be able to go to university.

  1. If + present: si je réussis mes examens
  2. I will be able = je pourrai (stem pourr-)
  3. to go to university = aller à l'université

Answer: Si je réussis mes examens, je pourrai aller à l'université.

Key idea

Future: stem + -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont. Conditional: stem + -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. Stems: ir-, aur-, ser-, fer-, pourr-, devr-, voudr-, viendr-, verr-, saur-, enverr-, recevr-, il faudra. Si + present: future; si + imperfect: conditional.

Key words
il fait beau
the weather is nice
la plage
beach

All GCSE and International GCSE French key terms and definitions →

Common mistakes
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Extra practice

2 more questions

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  1. Demain, nous ___ un film. (voir, future)

    1. voirons
    2. verrions
    3. verrons
    4. voyons
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    Answer: verrons

    Voir: stem verr-: nous verrons.

  2. Tu ___ travailler. (devoir, future)

    1. devras
    2. devoiras
    3. devrais
    4. dois
    Show the answer

    Answer: devras

    Devoir: stem devr-: tu devras.

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Last updated 2 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.

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