The conditional and si clauses

The conditional uses the future stem with the imparfait endings: je parlerais, tu serais, nous aurions. It softens a request, je voudrais un café, or says what would happen.

After si, French never uses the future or the conditional. A real condition takes si and the present, then the future: s'il pleut, je resterai. An imagined one takes si and the imparfait, then the conditional: si j'avais le temps, je voyagerais.

In dictation, -rai (future) and -rais (conditional) sound almost alike with je: je viendrai demain, but je viendrais si je pouvais. Si becomes s' only before il and ils.