il aimerait
The English phrase "he would like" is translated into French as il aimerait.
This phrase is used to politely express a person's wish or desire for something. When you use this phrase to express a desire to perform an action, you must follow it with an infinitive verb, such as il aimerait manger (he would like to eat).
Which one should you use?
You can use Il aimerait bien for a more informal tone or Il souhaiterait for a more formal tone.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the conditional mood to express a wish. This functions similarly to the English "would like" by softening a request or a desire.
Did you know?
- While il aimerait is polite, French speakers often avoid using aimer for specific requests because it can be misinterpreted as a declaration of romantic love.
- The word il comes from the Late Latin illī, which was originally a demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that one' before it became a personal pronoun.
- The French conditional mood used in il aimerait is actually formed by combining the future stem with the imperfect endings.
Examples in context
- Il aimerait descendre dans les égouts.He would like to go down into the sewers.This sentence shows the use of il aimerait with an infinitive.Tatoeba #9472638 by Julien_PDC, translation #13815958 by tieguy
- Il aimerait passer son permis de conduire mais il est trop jeune.He would like to get his driver's license but he is too young.Tatoeba #9080000 by Julien_PDC, translation #13812997 by tieguy
- Il aimerait être policier plus tard.He would like to become a police officer in the future.Tatoeba #1044133 by jeo, translation #12867896 by rul
- Il aimerait un café, s'il vous plaît.He would like a coffee, please.
- Il aimerait réserver une table pour deux personnes.He would like to reserve a table for two.
- Il aimerait savoir si c'est possible.He would like to know if it's possible.
- Il souhaiterait un verre d'eau, s'il vous plaît.He would like a glass of water, please.
- Il souhaiterait acheter ce livre.He would like to buy this book.
- Il souhaiterait s'entretenir avec le directeur.He would like to speak with the director.
- Il voudrait un peu de pain, s'il vous plaît.He would like some bread, please.
- Il voudrait savoir si vous êtes disponible demain.He would like to know if you're available tomorrow.
- Il voudrait visiter le musée cet après-midi.He would like to visit the museum this afternoon.
- Il aimerait bien un morceau de gâteau.He would like a piece of cake.
- Il aimerait bien sortir ce soir.He would like to go out tonight.
- Il aimerait bien te parler.He would like to talk to you.
- Il voudrait bien une autre bière.He would like another beer.
- Il voudrait bien t'accompagner au cinéma.He would like to go to the movies with you.
- Il voudrait bien participer à la fête.He would like to join the party.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are discussing what their brother wants for his birthday.
- HugoQu'est-ce que Marc veut pour son anniversaire ?What does Marc want for his birthday?
- LéaIl aimerait un nouveau vélo.He would like a new bike.
- HugoEst-ce qu'il a une couleur préférée ?Does he have a favorite color?
- LéaOui, il aimerait un vélo bleu.Yes, he would like a blue bike.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries il, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
