FlexiLingoIn one line
Three fixed combinations, and after
siyou never use a future or a conditional.
The forms on this page
| Form | Means | Sound |
|---|---|---|
si | if — and before il it becomes s'il | /si/ |
The table
| Type | After si | The other clause | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — possible | present | future | Si tu viens, je serai content. if you come, I'll be happy | /si ty vjɛ̃ ʒə sə.ʁe kɔ̃.tɑ̃/ |
| 2 — hypothetical | imperfect | present conditional | Si tu venais, je serais content. if you came, I'd be happy | /si ty və.nɛ ʒə sə.ʁɛ kɔ̃.tɑ̃/ |
| 3 — impossible | pluperfect | past conditional | Si tu étais venu, j'aurais été content. if you had come, I'd have been happy — but you didn't | /si ty e.tɛ və.ny ʒo.ʁɛ.z‿e.te kɔ̃.tɑ̃/ |
All three are fixed. There is no other combination.
English teaches exactly the same three types, in the same order, with the same backshift — first, second and third conditional. The tenses match one for one:
English French 1 if you come, I will be si tu viens,je serai2 if you came, I would be si tu venais,je serais3 if you had come, I would have been si tu étais venu,j'aurais étéSo there is nothing new to understand here — only the forms to produce.
The rule that is never broken
After
si, never-raior-rais
| ❌ | ✅ |
|---|---|
Si tu viendras | Si tu viens |
Si tu viendrais | Si tu venais |
The future and the conditional appear only in the other clause, never after si.
English obeys the same ban and you obey it without thinking. "If you will come" and "if you would come" are both wrong in the same way. So this rule costs you nothing — but it is the single most common mistake French speakers make in their own language, which tells you how strong the pull is.
And the order of the two clauses is free
| Pronunciation | ||
|---|---|---|
Si tu viens, je serai content. | /si ty vjɛ̃ ʒə sə.ʁe kɔ̃.tɑ̃/ | |
Je serai content si tu viens. | the same meaning — and no comma here | /ʒə sə.ʁe kɔ̃.tɑ̃ si ty vjɛ̃/ |
English does the same, with the same comma rule.
Exceptions
| Exception | What happens |
|---|---|
| Type 1 can also take a present or an imperative | Si tu veux, viens. /si ty vø vjɛ̃/ Si tu chauffes l'eau, elle bout. /si ty ʃof lo ɛl bu/ |
si /si/ meaning "whether" follows a different rule | there the future is allowed — see the indirect-question page |
si /si/ + il /il/ elides | s'il /sil/ — but not si elle /si ɛl/ |
| Type 3 sometimes has a present result | Si j'avais étudié, je serais médecin maintenant. /si ʒa.vɛ.z‿e.ty.dje ʒə sə.ʁɛ me.də.sɛ̃ mɛ̃t.nɑ̃/ |
That second row matters more than it looks. English uses "if" for both meanings too — "if it rains" (condition) and "I don't know if he's coming" (whether). French uses
sifor both as well, but only the conditional one bans the future.Je ne sais pas s'il viendrais correct.
Examples
| English | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| If I have time, I'll come | Si j'ai le temps, je viendrai. | /si ʒe lə tɑ̃ ʒə vjɛ̃.dʁe/ |
| If I had money, I'd travel | Si j'avais de l'argent, je voyagerais. | /si ʒa.vɛ də laʁ.ʒɑ̃ ʒə vwa.ja.ʒə.ʁɛ/ |
| If I had known, I'd have come | Si j'avais su, je serais venu. | /si ʒa.vɛ sy ʒə sə.ʁɛ və.ny/ |
| If you want, come | Si tu veux, viens. | /si ty vø vjɛ̃/ |
| If it rains, I won't go out | S'il pleut, je ne sortirai pas. | /sil plø ʒə nə sɔʁ.ti.ʁe pa/ |
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ | Why |
|---|---|---|
Si tu viendras, je serai content. | Si tu viens, … | No future after si |
Si tu viendrais, je serais content. | Si tu venais, … | No conditional after si |
Si j'aurais su. | Si j'avais su. | The same rule — and the most common error French speakers make |
Si il pleut. | S'il pleut. | si + il elides |
Si tu venais, je viendrai. | … je viendrais. | Type 2 pairs with the present conditional |
How to hold it
three pairs, each one step further back
Look at the pattern — each type steps one tense further back:
| Type | si + | → |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | present | future |
| 2 | imperfect (one step back) | present conditional |
| 3 | pluperfect (two steps back) | past conditional |
English does the identical backshift and you already feel it:
| "if you come, I will be glad" | possible |
| "if you came, I would be glad" | hypothetical |
| "if you had come, I would have been glad" | impossible |
Notice that English also uses a past tense for a present hypothesis — "if I were rich" is about now, not the past. French does exactly the same with the imperfect.
So the meanings transfer completely. The one genuinely new thing is that French forbids the future after si — and, unlike in English, that rule is enforced strictly enough to cost marks.