The conditional tenseOther uses of the conditional tense

The conditional is often used to say what would happen if something else occurred. This is formed using si meaning if and the imperfect tense:

• si j'étais riche, j'achèterais une grosse voiture - if I were rich, I would buy a big car
• si j’avais beaucoup d’argent, je ferais le tour du monde - if I had lots of money, I would travel the world

It's also used to talk about intentions or ambitions:

• je voudrais être docteur - I would like to be a doctor
• j'aimerais aller en Australie - I would like to go to Australia