In French, as in English, mood is a grammatical term which deals with verbal inflection that indicates how the speaker feels about an action. The two moods we'll be focusing on in this unit are the Conditional and the Subjunctive.
The conditional mood is used to express actions that would or could happen under certain conditions.
The present conditional is used to talk about hypothetical situations. It's formed by taking the future stem of the verb and adding the imperfect endings.
For example, the verb "parler" (to speak) in present conditional is "je parlerais" (I would speak).
The past conditional is used to express an action that would have occurred but didn't because some condition wasn't met. It's formed by using the conditional of "avoir" or "être" and the past participle of the verb.
For example, "j'aurais parlé" (I would have spoken).
The subjunctive mood is used to express various states of unreality such as doubt, possibility, necessity, or action that has not yet occurred.
The present subjunctive is used to express emotion, doubt, and uncertainty. It's formed by taking the third person plural form of the present tense of the verb, dropping the -ent ending, and adding the subjunctive endings.
For example, the verb "parler" in present subjunctive is "que je parle" (that I speak).
The past subjunctive is used to express actions or states that have finished, but are connected to the present. It's formed by using the present subjunctive of "avoir" or "être" and the past participle of the verb.
For example, "que j'aie parlé" (that I have spoken).
Both conditional and subjunctive moods are used in sentences to express various states of unreality. Conditional is often used in "if" clauses to express what would happen under certain circumstances. Subjunctive is often used after certain verbs and conjunctions that express things like doubt, necessity, and judgment.
For example,
By understanding and practicing these moods, you can express complex thoughts and ideas in French. Remember, practice makes perfect, so keep practicing these concepts until you feel comfortable with them.