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d=\"M14.234 10.162L22.977 0h-2.072l-7.591 8.824L7.251 0H.258l9.168 13.343L.258 24H2.33l8.016-9.318L16.749 24h6.993zm-2.837 3.299l-.929-1.329L3.076 1.56h3.182l5.965 8.532l.929 1.329l7.754 11.09h-3.182z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":43,"hidden":44},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M20.447 20.452h-3.554v-5.569c0-1.328-.027-3.037-1.852-3.037c-1.853 0-2.136 1.445-2.136 2.939v5.667H9.351V9h3.414v1.561h.046c.477-.9 1.637-1.85 3.37-1.85c3.601 0 4.267 2.37 4.267 5.455v6.286zM5.337 7.433a2.06 2.06 0 0 1-2.063-2.065a2.064 2.064 0 1 1 2.063 2.065m1.782 13.019H3.555V9h3.564zM22.225 0H1.771C.792 0 0 .774 0 1.729v20.542C0 23.227.792 24 1.771 24h20.451C23.2 24 24 23.227 24 22.271V1.729C24 .774 23.2 0 22.222 0z\"\u002F>",true,{"id":46,"title":47,"author":48,"body":49,"cefrLevel":640,"date":48,"description":641,"extension":642,"faqs":643,"gcseTier":653,"intro":654,"language":655,"lastUpdated":48,"meta":656,"navigation":44,"path":657,"seo":658,"stem":659,"verbSlugs":48,"__hash__":660},"pages\u002Ffrench\u002Fgrammar\u002Fsi-clauses.md","French si Clauses: The Three Types of Conditional Sentence",null,{"type":50,"value":51,"toc":626},"minimark",[52,57,70,73,78,146,149,153,170,198,209,213,227,253,272,276,290,316,325,329,336,368,375,379,390,410,413,417,435,449,456,494,503,507,551,555,589,593],[53,54,56],"h1",{"id":55},"french-si-clauses","French si Clauses",[58,59,60,61,65,66,69],"p",{},"A ",[62,63,64],"strong",{},"si"," clause is an \"if\" sentence: a condition, and a consequence that depends on it. French handles them with a tidy three-type system, and the whole thing rests on one principle - the tenses come in ",[62,67,68],{},"fixed pairs",". Choose the type, and both halves of the sentence are decided for you.",[58,71,72],{},"The three types map onto how likely or how real the condition is: a real possibility, a hypothetical present, and an impossible past. Learn the three pairings and you will never have to guess.",[74,75,77],"h2",{"id":76},"the-three-types-at-a-glance","The three types at a glance",[79,80,81,100],"table",{},[82,83,84],"thead",{},[85,86,87,91,94,97],"tr",{},[88,89,90],"th",{},"Type",[88,92,93],{},"If-clause (after si)",[88,95,96],{},"Main clause",[88,98,99],{},"Meaning",[101,102,103,118,132],"tbody",{},[85,104,105,109,112,115],{},[106,107,108],"td",{},"1",[106,110,111],{},"present",[106,113,114],{},"present \u002F future \u002F imperative",[106,116,117],{},"real, likely",[85,119,120,123,126,129],{},[106,121,122],{},"2",[106,124,125],{},"imperfect",[106,127,128],{},"present conditional",[106,130,131],{},"hypothetical present",[85,133,134,137,140,143],{},[106,135,136],{},"3",[106,138,139],{},"pluperfect",[106,141,142],{},"past conditional",[106,144,145],{},"unreal past (regret)",[58,147,148],{},"Notice the pattern down the if-clause column: present, imperfect, pluperfect. Each step takes the condition one notch further from reality. And notice that the if-clause never contains a future or a conditional - that is the golden rule, and we come back to it below.",[74,150,152],{"id":151},"type-1-real-and-likely-si-present","Type 1: real and likely (si + present)",[58,154,155,156,158,159,161,162,165,166,169],{},"Use Type 1 when the condition is a genuine possibility. The if-clause is in the ",[62,157,111],{},", and the main clause is in the ",[62,160,111],{},", the ",[62,163,164],{},"future",", or the ",[62,167,168],{},"imperative",".",[171,172,173,180,186,192],"ul",{},[174,175,176,179],"li",{},[62,177,178],{},"Si tu veux, je viens."," (If you want, I will come.) - present + present.",[174,181,182,185],{},[62,183,184],{},"S'il pleut, je resterai a la maison."," (If it rains, I will stay at home.) - present + future.",[174,187,188,191],{},[62,189,190],{},"Si tu as faim, mange quelque chose."," (If you are hungry, eat something.) - present + imperative.",[174,193,194,197],{},[62,195,196],{},"Si vous finissez tot, vous pourrez sortir."," (If you finish early, you will be able to go out.) - present + future.",[58,199,200,201,204,205,208],{},"The future-in-the-main-clause version is the everyday workhorse: a real condition now, a likely result later. The verb ",[62,202,203],{},"after si"," stays in the present even though English often slips in a \"will\" - \"if it ",[62,206,207],{},"rains","\", not \"if it will rain\".",[74,210,212],{"id":211},"type-2-hypothetical-present-si-imperfect","Type 2: hypothetical present (si + imperfect)",[58,214,215,216,219,220,224,225,169],{},"Use Type 2 for things that are ",[62,217,218],{},"not actually the case"," - imaginary, contrary-to-fact situations in the present. The if-clause goes in the ",[221,222,125],"a",{"href":223},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fgrammar\u002Fimparfait",", and the main clause in the ",[62,226,128],{},[171,228,229,235,241,247],{},[174,230,231,234],{},[62,232,233],{},"Si j'avais le temps, je viendrais."," (If I had time, I would come.) - but I do not have time.",[174,236,237,240],{},[62,238,239],{},"Si tu etais riche, qu'est-ce que tu ferais?"," (If you were rich, what would you do?)",[174,242,243,246],{},[62,244,245],{},"Si on partait maintenant, on arriverait a l'heure."," (If we left now, we would arrive on time.)",[174,248,249,252],{},[62,250,251],{},"Si elle parlait italien, elle travaillerait en Italie."," (If she spoke Italian, she would work in Italy.)",[58,254,255,256,259,260,263,264,268,269,169],{},"This is the English \"if I ",[62,257,258],{},"had","... I ",[62,261,262],{},"would","...\" pattern exactly. The condition is unreal, so French steps it back into the imperfect, and the consequence sits in the ",[221,265,267],{"href":266},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fgrammar\u002Fconditional","conditionnel",". The formation of the conditional is covered in full on its own page; here, all that matters is the pairing - ",[62,270,271],{},"imperfect after si, conditional in the result",[74,273,275],{"id":274},"type-3-unreal-past-the-language-of-regret-si-pluperfect","Type 3: unreal past, the language of regret (si + pluperfect)",[58,277,278,279,282,283,224,287,289],{},"Use Type 3 for the impossible past - what ",[62,280,281],{},"would have"," happened if things had been different. It is the tense of regret and reproach. The if-clause goes in the ",[221,284,286],{"href":285},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fgrammar\u002Fplus-que-parfait","plus-que-parfait",[62,288,142],{}," (the conditional of avoir or etre + past participle).",[171,291,292,298,304,310],{},[174,293,294,297],{},[62,295,296],{},"Si j'avais su, je serais venu."," (If I had known, I would have come.)",[174,299,300,303],{},[62,301,302],{},"Si tu m'avais ecoute, tu n'aurais pas fait cette erreur."," (If you had listened to me, you would not have made that mistake.)",[174,305,306,309],{},[62,307,308],{},"Si nous etions partis plus tot, nous aurions evite les embouteillages."," (If we had left earlier, we would have avoided the traffic.)",[174,311,312,315],{},[62,313,314],{},"Si elle avait revise, elle aurait reussi l'examen."," (If she had revised, she would have passed the exam.)",[58,317,318,321,322,169],{},[62,319,320],{},"Si j'avais su"," (if I had known) is worth memorising whole - it is the standard French for \"had I known\". The pluperfect after si is built and explained on the ",[221,323,324],{"href":285},"plus-que-parfait page",[74,326,328],{"id":327},"the-golden-rule-never-future-or-conditional-after-si","The golden rule: never future or conditional after si",[58,330,331,332,335],{},"This is the single most important point on the page. ",[62,333,334],{},"After a conditional si, you never use the future and you never use the conditional."," The verb directly after si is always the lower tense of the pair - present, imperfect or pluperfect.",[171,337,338,350,359],{},[174,339,340,341,345,346,349],{},"Wrong: ",[342,343,344],"del",{},"si je serai"," -> Right: ",[62,347,348],{},"si je suis"," (Type 1).",[174,351,340,352,345,355,358],{},[342,353,354],{},"si j'aurais",[62,356,357],{},"si j'avais"," (Type 2).",[174,360,340,361,345,364,367],{},[342,362,363],{},"si j'aurais su",[62,365,366],{},"si j'avais su"," (Type 3).",[58,369,370,371,374],{},"A quick mental check: the future and the conditional belong in the ",[62,372,373],{},"main clause",", not in the if-clause. If you find yourself writing a \"-rai\" or a \"-rais\" ending straight after si, stop - it is almost certainly wrong. The result clause carries the future\u002Fconditional; the si clause carries the plainer tense.",[74,376,378],{"id":377},"si-meaning-whether-a-different-word","si meaning \"whether\": a different word",[58,380,381,382,385,386,389],{},"There is one place where a future or conditional ",[62,383,384],{},"can"," follow si, and it catches people out. When si means ",[62,387,388],{},"\"whether\""," (introducing an indirect question), it is not a conditional si at all, and the normal tense rules apply - including the future and the conditional.",[171,391,392,398,404],{},[174,393,394,397],{},[62,395,396],{},"Je ne sais pas si elle viendra."," (I do not know whether she will come.) - future allowed, because this is \"whether\", not \"if\".",[174,399,400,403],{},[62,401,402],{},"Il m'a demande si je viendrais."," (He asked me whether I would come.) - conditional allowed, same reason.",[174,405,406,409],{},[62,407,408],{},"Elle se demande si nous aurons le temps."," (She wonders whether we will have time.)",[58,411,412],{},"The test: can you swap \"if\" for \"whether\" in the English without changing the meaning? If yes, it is the \"whether\" si, and the future or conditional is fine. If no - if it sets up a genuine condition - it is a conditional si, and the golden rule applies.",[74,414,416],{"id":415},"the-elision-si-becomes-s-before-il-and-ils-only","The elision: si becomes s' before il and ils only",[58,418,419,422,423,426,427,430,431,434],{},[62,420,421],{},"Si"," elides to ",[62,424,425],{},"s'"," only before ",[62,428,429],{},"il"," and ",[62,432,433],{},"ils",":",[171,436,437,443],{},[174,438,439,442],{},[62,440,441],{},"S'il pleut..."," (If it rains...)",[174,444,445,448],{},[62,446,447],{},"S'ils viennent..."," (If they come...)",[58,450,451,452,455],{},"It does ",[62,453,454],{},"not"," elide before anything else, including other words that start with a vowel:",[171,457,458,474],{},[174,459,460,463,464,467,468,467,471,169],{},[62,461,462],{},"si elle"," (not \"s'elle\"), ",[62,465,466],{},"si on",", ",[62,469,470],{},"si un",[62,472,473],{},"si une",[174,475,476,477,480,481,483,484,487,488,490,491,493],{},"And it does not drop before ",[62,478,479],{},"je",": it is ",[62,482,366],{},", never \"s'j'avais su\" - the ",[62,485,486],{},"j'"," here is the elision of ",[62,489,479],{},", while ",[62,492,64],{}," stays intact.",[58,495,496,497,430,500,169],{},"So the only two elided forms you will ever write are ",[62,498,499],{},"s'il",[62,501,502],{},"s'ils",[74,504,506],{"id":505},"worked-examples","Worked examples",[171,508,509,515,521,527,533,539,545],{},[174,510,511,514],{},[62,512,513],{},"Si tu as le temps, appelle-moi."," (If you have time, call me.) - Type 1, present + imperative.",[174,516,517,520],{},[62,518,519],{},"S'il fait beau demain, nous irons a la plage."," (If it is sunny tomorrow, we will go to the beach.) - Type 1, present + future.",[174,522,523,526],{},[62,524,525],{},"Si je gagnais au loto, j'acheterais une maison."," (If I won the lottery, I would buy a house.) - Type 2, imperfect + conditional.",[174,528,529,532],{},[62,530,531],{},"Si tu etais la, tout serait plus facile."," (If you were here, everything would be easier.) - Type 2.",[174,534,535,538],{},[62,536,537],{},"Si j'avais su, je serais reste chez moi."," (If I had known, I would have stayed home.) - Type 3, pluperfect + past conditional.",[174,540,541,544],{},[62,542,543],{},"Si nous avions reserve, nous n'aurions pas attendu."," (If we had booked, we would not have waited.) - Type 3.",[174,546,547,550],{},[62,548,549],{},"Je ne sais pas si tu auras le temps."," (I do not know whether you will have time.) - \"whether\" si, future allowed.",[74,552,554],{"id":553},"common-mistakes-english-speakers-make","Common mistakes English speakers make",[58,556,557,558,561,562,565,566,568,569,572,573,576,577,430,579,581,582,467,584,430,586,588],{},"The headline error is breaking the golden rule - putting a future or a conditional after si. English \"if I ",[62,559,560],{},"will"," have time\" tempts learners into \"si j'aurai le temps\", but it must be ",[62,563,564],{},"si j'ai le temps","; and the regret form is ",[62,567,366],{},", never \"si j'aurais su\". The second trap is mixing the pairs across types: a Type 2 if-clause needs the imperfect, so it is ",[62,570,571],{},"si j'avais le temps, je viendrais",", not \"si j'ai le temps, je viendrais\" when the meaning is hypothetical. The third is mishandling the \"whether\" si - learners over-apply the golden rule and write \"je ne sais pas si elle vient\" when they mean the future, but ",[62,574,575],{},"je ne sais pas si elle viendra"," is correct because this si means \"whether\". Finally, watch the elision: it is ",[62,578,499],{},[62,580,502],{}," only, so ",[62,583,462],{},[62,585,466],{},[62,587,357],{}," keep the full si.",[74,590,592],{"id":591},"see-also","See also",[171,594,595,601,606,612,619],{},[174,596,597,598,600],{},"The ",[221,599,267],{"href":266}," page covers how to build the present and past conditional used in the result clauses of Types 2 and 3.",[174,602,597,603,605],{},[221,604,286],{"href":285}," page covers the pluperfect that opens a Type 3 si clause.",[174,607,597,608,611],{},[221,609,610],{"href":223},"imparfait"," page covers the imperfect that opens a Type 2 si clause.",[174,613,597,614,618],{},[221,615,617],{"href":616},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fgrammar\u002Ffuture-tense","future tense"," page covers the futur simple used in the result of a Type 1 si clause.",[174,620,597,621,625],{},[221,622,624],{"href":623},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fgrammar","French grammar cheatsheet"," covers the whole A1-B2 grammar map at a glance.",{"title":627,"searchDepth":628,"depth":628,"links":629},"",2,[630,631,632,633,634,635,636,637,638,639],{"id":76,"depth":628,"text":77},{"id":151,"depth":628,"text":152},{"id":211,"depth":628,"text":212},{"id":274,"depth":628,"text":275},{"id":327,"depth":628,"text":328},{"id":377,"depth":628,"text":378},{"id":415,"depth":628,"text":416},{"id":505,"depth":628,"text":506},{"id":553,"depth":628,"text":554},{"id":591,"depth":628,"text":592},"B2","The three types of French conditional sentence (les phrases avec si): si + present -> present\u002Ffuture\u002Fimperative; si + imperfect -> present conditional; si + pluperfect -> past conditional. The golden rule that you never put the future or the conditional directly after si, the contrast with si meaning 'whether', and the elision of si to s' before il and ils only.","md",[644,647,650],{"q":645,"a":646},"What are the three types of si clause in French?","Type 1, the real and likely case: si + present in the if-clause, then present, future or imperative in the main clause - si tu veux, je viens; s'il pleut, je resterai. Type 2, the hypothetical or unreal present: si + imperfect, then the present conditional - si j'avais le temps, je viendrais (if I had time, I would come). Type 3, the unreal past for regret: si + pluperfect, then the past conditional - si j'avais su, je serais venu (if I had known, I would have come). Each type is a fixed tense pairing; learn the pairs and the sentences build themselves.",{"q":648,"a":649},"Can you use the future or the conditional after si in French?","No - this is the golden rule of si clauses. After a conditional si you never use the future (not 'si je serai') and never use the conditional (not 'si j'aurais'). The verb after si is always the lower tense of the pair: present, imperfect or pluperfect. The future and conditional live in the main clause, not the if-clause. The one apparent exception is si meaning 'whether', which is a different word entirely and does allow the future: je ne sais pas si elle viendra (I do not know whether she will come).",{"q":651,"a":652},"When does si become s' in French?","Si elides to s' only before il and ils - so s'il pleut (if it rains) and s'ils viennent (if they come). It never elides before anything else: it stays si elle, si on, si un, si une and, crucially, si j'avais (the i of si does not drop before je). So you write s'il but si elle, and si j'avais su, never 's'j'avais'.","higher","A si clause is an 'if' sentence, and French runs them on a fixed three-type system. Get the pairing right and conditional sentences become mechanical; get it wrong and you make the single most common upper-level error there is. Type 1 is the real, likely case: si + present, then present, future or imperative - s'il pleut, je resterai (if it rains, I will stay). Type 2 is the hypothetical present, things that are not actually true: si + imperfect, then the present conditional - si j'avais le temps, je viendrais (if I had time, I would come). Type 3 is the unreal past, the language of regret: si + pluperfect, then the past conditional - si j'avais su, je serais venu (if I had known, I would have come). The golden rule that ties it all together: you never put a future or a conditional directly after si. The tenses come in fixed pairs, and the verb after si is always the lower one. This page sets out all three types, the golden rule, the 'whether' exception, and the elision of si.","french",{},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fgrammar\u002Fsi-clauses",{"title":47,"description":641},"french\u002Fgrammar\u002Fsi-clauses","_h26qsFbCNgYXPtcJFokGpznHR1RArcZlaPasFCZfXI",[],{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":663},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Cpath d=\"M12 15V3m9 12v4a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H5a2 2 0 0 1-2-2v-4\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"m7 10l5 5l5-5\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":665},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M13 21h8M15 5l4 4m2.174-2.188a1 1 0 0 0-3.986-3.987L3.842 16.174a2 2 0 0 0-.5.83l-1.321 4.352a.5.5 0 0 0 .623.622l4.353-1.32a2 2 0 0 0 .83-.497z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":667},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Crect width=\"18\" height=\"18\" x=\"3\" y=\"3\" rx=\"2\" ry=\"2\"\u002F>\u003Ccircle cx=\"9\" cy=\"9\" r=\"2\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"m21 15l-3.086-3.086a2 2 0 0 0-2.828 0L6 21\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":669},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Cpath d=\"M6 22a2 2 0 0 1-2-2V4a2 2 0 0 1 2-2h8a2.4 2.4 0 0 1 1.704.706l3.588 3.588A2.4 2.4 0 0 1 20 8v12a2 2 0 0 1-2 2z\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"M14 2v5a1 1 0 0 0 1 1h5M10 9H8m8 4H8m8 4H8\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",1]