serait
The English phrase "would be" is expressed in French using the conditional form of the verb être, with serait being the default form.
In French, serait is used to describe hypothetical situations. To start a sentence meaning "It would be" or "That would be", the standard phrase is Ce serait.
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish the conditional serait (would be) from the future tense sera (will be).
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the verb changes depending on the subject: serais is used with je (I) or tu (you), serions is used with nous (we), seriez is used with vous (you) and seraient is used for third-person plural subjects like ils or elles.
Did you know?
- In French news reports, the conditional serait is often used to describe events that have not yet been officially confirmed, acting as a grammatical 'allegedly'.
- French uses serait in 'conditional' politeness, where asking Ce serait possible ? is considered significantly softer and more polite than asking if something is currently possible.
- While Ce serait is the grammatically correct form for 'It would be', using Ça serait is so ubiquitous in casual conversation that using the formal version in a café might actually make you sound overly stiff or robotic.
Examples in context
- Ça serait super !That would be wicked!This sentence shows how to use serait to express something being wicked.Tatoeba #10762938 by lbdx, translation #1035222 by sacredceltic
- Ça serait génial !It would be awesome!This sentence uses serait to say something would be awesome.Tatoeba #7123637 by Micsmithel, translation #3382877 by Hybrid
- Ce serait un plus.That would be a plus.This sentence demonstrates using serait to describe a plus.Tatoeba #12198724 by lbdx, translation #5752431 by CM
- Si j'étais riche, j'achèterais une grande maison.If I were rich, I would buy a big house.
- Ce serait une bonne idée d'investir dans cette entreprise.It would be a good idea to invest in this company.
- Si j'étais toi, j'irais au cinéma.If I were you, I would go to the cinema.
- Ça serait cool de partir en vacances ensemble.It would be cool to go on vacation together.
- 474 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are discussing where to go on vacation.
- EmmaOù irais-tu si tu pouvais ?Where would you go if you could?
- LucasLe Japon serait parfait pour moi.Japan would be perfect for me.
- EmmaCe serait un voyage très long.That would be a very long trip.
- LucasOui, mais ça en vaudrait la peine.Yes, but it would be worth it.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
