serait

Serait is the third-person singular present conditional form of the French verb être, meaning "would be." It is used to express hypothetical or contingent states, opinions, or possibilities.

In French, the present conditional is formed by adding the standard conditional endings to the infinitive or a closely related stem. For être, the stem shifts to ser-, yielding je serais, tu serais, il serait, nous serions, vous seriez, ils seraient. This irregular stem is a distinctive feature of être in the conditional mood.

Serait appears in a wide range of contexts, from hypothetical statements to polite requests or proposals. Examples include: Il serait content s’il venait. Ce serait possible demain. Il serait temps de partir. A common fixed expression is il serait d’avis que, meaning "he would be of the opinion that." In questions, a more formal inversion can occur: Serait-ce possible?

Usage notes emphasize that serait expresses conjecture or politeness rather than a definite future event. It can soften statements or present ideas as options. It is distinct from the future tense sera, which simply indicates what will be. Distinctions between conditional and other moods can help clarity in formal writing or rhetorical phrasing.

Originating from the verb être, ser- is an older, irregular stem used specifically for the conditional. The endings -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient complete the standard present conditional paradigm. See also être and the French conditional mood.