| si + … | main clause | meaning | example |
|---|---|---|---|
| present | present, future or imperative | real condition | Si tu as faim, mange. (If you're hungry, eat.) Si tu viens, on ira au lac. (If you come, we'll go to the lake.) |
| passé composé | present, future or imperative | condition already met | Si tu as fini, tu peux partir. (If you've finished, you can go.) |
| imparfait | present conditional | unreal now | Si j'avais une voiture, je viendrais. (If I had a car, I would come.) |
| plus-que-parfait | past conditional | unreal in the past | Si j'avais su, je serais venu. (If I had known, I would have come.) |
| plus-que-parfait | present conditional | past → result today | Si j'avais pris le train, je serais déjà là. (If I had taken the train, I'd already be there.) |
The golden rule: never a future or conditional right after « si » when si means "if / on condition that". « Si j'aurais » is a mistake (like "if I would have").
But si has other meanings:
Elision: si + il(s) → s'il(s), but si elle, si on (no elision).
Translate the words from your reading, review them as flashcards and practise with gap-fill sentences.
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