tiendraient

Tiendraient is the third-person plural present conditional form of the French verb tenir. It corresponds to ils/elles tiendraient and expresses a hypothetical or polite action, often in subordinate clauses or in reported speech. The form shares the same stem tiendr- used by tenir for the future and conditional, making tiendraient part of a regular conditional conjugation pattern for this irregular verb.

Morphology and etymology: tenir derives from the Latin tenere. In modern French, its future and conditional stems use tiendr-, which appears in forms such as tiendrai, tiendras, tiendra, tiendrons, tiendrez, tiendront, and their corresponding conditional endings to give tiendraient for ils/elles. The ending -aient marks the third-person plural in the present conditional.

Usage: Tiendraient is used to express what would happen under certain conditions, or to describe what people would do in hypothetical circumstances. It can also appear in reported speech to relay a conditional statement. Examples include: “S’ils avaient le temps, ils tiendraient la réunion demain.” (“If they had the time, they would hold the meeting tomorrow.”) and “Ils tiendraient parole s’ils l’avaient promise.” (“They would keep their word if they had promised it.”)

Notes: Although it is a verb form, tiendraient is not a standalone noun. It is one of several conjugated forms of tenir and is commonly found in literature, journalism, and spoken French when discussing hypotheticals or conditional outcomes. See also tenir, conditionnel (grammar).