I will like or I will love: how not to confuse them ?

It is not so easy to avoid confusion in the use of the verbs j’aimerai and j’aimerais. In fact, they are both verbal forms derived from the verb “to love”. At first glance, there is no difference in sound when pronounced orally. However, j’aimerai is conjugated in the future simple indicative in the first person.

While I would like is conjugated in the first person of the present conditional. It is therefore important to understand how to distinguish the future tense from the conditional tense.

J’aimerai or j’would like?

If you are talking about something you will have the pleasure to do or to have the opportunity to do, you will have the pleasure to do it’to have in the future (it will happen for sure), it is not the same thing’acts in the simple future tense.
The correct conjugation is then : J’aimerai

If you talk about’a wish, d’a desire (it is not going to happen for sure), he/she will’acts of the present conditional.
The correct conjugation is then : J’would like

Know the difference between the two tenses

It is in situations of hesitation between the future tense and the conditional tense that we realize most that the French language is difficult to understand. Indeed, we sometimes tend to think that it’s just the “s” that makes the difference between the two words. We always think that no matter what verb we use, it will be right.

However, putting -ai or -ais is absolutely not the same thing. It is therefore important to know the rules for the use of the conditional and future tenses to be perfectly sure that you are not mistaken.

The simple future tense

It is a mode that always expresses a certain fact. It is a simple verb tense. It is used to indicate that an action or event will take place in the future. It is therefore an action that has never taken place at the time we are talking about it.

However, it is obligatory that it actually takes place some time after it has been evoked. It is important to conjugate verbs in the future tense with the correct endings:

Verbs of the first group (en-er) in the future simple of the indicative :

• I like-rai
• You like-ras
• He // She likes-ra
• We like-rons
• You like-rez
• They // They like-ront

Second group verbs in (-ir) in the future simple tense:

• I finish-rai
• You finish-ras
• He // She will finish-ra
• We will finish-rons
• You finish-rez
• They // They finish-ront

Third group verbs in the future tense :

• I will-rai
• You say-ras
• He // She will-ra
• We say rons
• You say-rez
• They // They will-ront

Verb to be in the future tense:

• I will-rai
• You will-ras
• He // She is-ra
• We will-rons
• You will-rez
• They // They will-ront

Verb to have in the future tense of the indicative :

• I will-ai
• You will-as
• He // She will-a
• We will-ons
• You will-ez
• They // They will-have

Irregular verbs in the future simple tense:

To come: I will come

See: je verrai

To have to: I will have to

To want: I will want

To receive : I will receive

To know: I will know

Valoir : I will

To hold: I will hold

Verbs ending in – ayer like sweep or pay can be used in the same way’write with endings like -ayerai, -ayeras or – aiera, – aieras. For example, you can write: I will sweep, you will sweep or I will sweep or you will sweep.

Verbs ending in -yer like wipe s’write by changing the y into i: we say, j’will wipe and you will wipe.

Some examples to illustrate the rule:

• I will start reading the book tomorrow.
• You will pay the’addition.
• He will choose the gift he likes best.
• We will deliver the packages when we receive them.
• You will write a beautiful story.
• They will start by learning the physics course.

The present conditional

This mode is used to express a wish or a hypothesis. This is therefore information that has not been confirmed at all. She is therefore perfectly uncertain. The action that surrounds this verb will take place under conditions.

On the other hand, it is usually a polite way to address someone when you need to ask a question. It is important to conjugate verbs in the present conditional with the correct endings:

First group verbs in (-er) in the present conditional

• I like-ais
• Tu aimer-ais
• He/she like-have
• We like-ions
• To love you-iez
• They // They like-have

Second group verbs in (-ir) in the present conditional

• J’ir-ais
• Tu ir-ais
• He // She ir-would
• We will-ions
• You will-iez
• They // They ir-have

Third group verbs in the present conditional

• I verr-ais
• You will-ais
• He // She verr-would
• We verr-ions
• You will-iez
• They // They will-have

Verb to be in the present conditional

• I will-ais
• You will-ais
• He // She will-have
• We will-ions
• You will-iez
• They // They will-have

Verb to have in the present conditional

• I will-ais
• You will-ais
• He // She would-have
• We would have–ions
• You will-iez
• They // They will-have

Verbs with a grave accent

• To buy: I would buy
• To stroll: you would stroll
• Freeze: he would freeze
• Get up: we would get up
• To weigh : you would weigh
• to sow: they would sow

Irregular verbs in the conditional

To pick : I would pick

Collect: I would collect

To receive: I would receive

To run : I would run

Some examples to illustrate the rule :

• I would like a coffee if possible.
• You’d better do it yourself.
• It would be much more reasonable not to make this decision.
• We would like to take a trip to Australia in the summer.
• You wish I was a little more fun.
• They could rent a house by the sea.

Know when to use one or the other

Once you know the rules for using the two tenses, it is already easier for you to differentiate between them. However, it is important to understand when to use one of the two tenses. In fact, they have one thing in common, which is that they did not take place. However, an action in the future tense is bound to happen, whereas an action in the conditional tense may not.

It is therefore important to know how to use the right tense among the two.

Here are some tips on when to use the future simple tense:

• It is used for an action that will take place in the future

Example: Tomorrow I’ll do the shopping for the New Year.

• It is used to make an assumption about something

Concrete example: S’it’s snowing next week, we’ll go skiing.

• It replaces in some cases the use of the imperative

Concrete example: you will take the bus after the party.

Here are some tips on when to use the conditional tense:

• It is used to express a condition by using the formula if + imperfect

Concrete example: If the weather was nice, we could go for a walk by the lake.

• It is used to express a wish or a will

Example in practice: I would like to know what you think. José would rather go and play the lottery.

• It’s a polite way of saying something

Concrete example: Pourrais-tu parler moins fort ? Could they turn down the sound of the TV.

• To talk about information that is uncertain

Case in point: The plane to Turkey would have landed at noon.