How would you say "if we buy" in french? I looked it up in my dictionary but I didn't get it.
"Si nous achetons" means "if we buy"... just add on the rest! ^_^
I think acheter (to buy) should be in the subjunctive tense -- Si nous acheterions . . .
probably... I wasn't sure which one...
Thank you for using the Jiskha Homework Help Forum. Let's clarify "si clauses" for you in French.
The only tenses used in "si" clauses are: the present indicative, the imperfect and the pluperfect.
When the verb in the main clause is in the future, present, or imperative, the present indicative is used in the "si clause."
When the main verb is in the present conditional, the imperfect is used in the "si clauses."
The same sequence of tneses applies in compound tenses, with the auxiliary considered as the verb. Thus, if the past conditional is used in the main clause, the pluperfect is used in the "si clause."
Examples:
Si nous achetons la robe, nous ne sortirons pas. = If we buy the dress, we will not go out.
Si nous achetons la robe, nous ne sortons pas. = If we buy the dress, we do not go out.
Si nous achetons la robe, ne sortez pas. = If we buy the dress, don't go out.
Si nous achetions la robe, nous ne sortirions pas. = If we bought (were to buy) la robe, we would not go out.
Si nous avions acheté la robe, nous ne serions pas sortis. = If we had bought the dress, we would not have gone out.
This all has to do when "si" means "if." When "si" means "whether," it may be followed by any tense.
In French, to say "if we buy," you would use the phrase "si nous achetons." This phrase follows the correct structure of a "si clause," where "si" means "if" and "nous achetons" means "we buy."
It's important to note that when constructing "si clauses" in French, you must use specific tenses depending on the verb tense in the main clause.
- If the verb in the main clause is in the future, present, or imperative tense, you use the present indicative tense in the "si clause."
- If the verb in the main clause is in the present conditional tense, you use the imperfect tense in the "si clause."
- If the verb in the main clause is in the past conditional tense, you use the pluperfect tense in the "si clause."
Here are a few examples using "si nous achetons" in different tenses:
- Si nous achetons la robe, nous ne sortirons pas. (If we buy the dress, we will not go out.)
- Si nous achetons la robe, nous ne sortons pas. (If we buy the dress, we do not go out.)
- Si nous achetons la robe, ne sortez pas. (If we buy the dress, don't go out.)
- Si nous achetions la robe, nous ne sortirions pas. (If we bought/were to buy the dress, we would not go out.)
- Si nous avions acheté la robe, nous ne serions pas sortis. (If we had bought the dress, we would not have gone out.)
Remember, the specific tense you use in the "si clause" depends on the verb tense in the main clause.