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Using je voudrais

FoundationHigherAQA

Master Using je voudrais for GCSE French with this free worksheet and full mark scheme — Foundation and Higher exam-style practice with worked answers for AQA GCSE French (8652). Voudrais and voudrait mean would like and are used for polite requests.

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These worksheets and mark schemes are original, written for Virtus Academy and checked against the current AQA specification. Every worksheet comes with a full mark scheme.

Foundation

WorksheetFoundation · PDFMark SchemeFoundation · PDF

Higher

WorksheetHigher · PDFMark SchemeHigher · PDF

Topic overview

Je voudrais means I would like, and it is the single most useful conditional form at GCSE.

It is far more polite than je veux, which means I want and can sound blunt or demanding. In any role-play involving a shop, restaurant or hotel, je voudrais is the expected form and je veux may cost marks for register.

It is followed either by a noun — je voudrais un café — or by an infinitive — je voudrais aller au cinéma. No preposition comes between je voudrais and the infinitive. Related useful forms are j'aimerais for I would like and je préférerais for I would prefer.

Revision notes

Politeness

Je voudrais means I would like; je veux means I want.

Je veux can sound blunt or demanding. In role-plays involving shops, restaurants or hotels, je voudrais is expected and using je veux may lose marks for register.

What follows it

Either a noun or an infinitive.

Je voudrais un café — with a noun. Je voudrais aller au cinéma — with an infinitive. No preposition comes between je voudrais and the infinitive.

Related forms

J'aimerais also means I would like.

Je préférerais means I would prefer. Both are conditional forms and both are equally polite. Having more than one avoids repetition in speaking tasks.

Key points

  • Je voudrais means I would like.
  • It is more polite than je veux.
  • Je veux can sound blunt.
  • It can be followed by a noun.
  • It can be followed by an infinitive.
  • J'aimerais means the same thing.

Worked examples

Example 1

Translate: I would like a coffee. [2 marks]

Working

Je voudrais un caféuse je voudrais with the noun
Je voudrais is used rather than je veux because it is more politeexplain the choice

Example 2

Translate: I would like to go to the cinema. [2 marks]

Working

Je voudrais aller au cinémause je voudrais with the infinitive
No preposition comes between voudrais and allerexplain the structure

Example 3

Explain why je voudrais is preferred to je veux in a restaurant role-play. [2 marks]

Working

Je veux means I want and can sound blunt or demandingstate the problem
Je voudrais means I would like and matches the polite register expectedexplain the improvement

Common mistakes

  • Using je veux in a polite situation.

    It can sound demanding; use je voudrais.

  • Adding a preposition before the infinitive.

    Je voudrais aller, not je voudrais à aller.

  • Spelling it je voudrai.

    The conditional takes -ais, not -ai.

  • Using it with a past meaning.

    It means I would like, not I wanted.

Exam tips

  • Use je voudrais in every polite situation.
  • Follow it with a noun or an infinitive.
  • Spell it with -ais, not -ai.
  • Vary with j'aimerais to avoid repetition.

Key terms

Je voudrais
I would like, a polite conditional form.
Register
The level of formality expected in a situation.
Conditional
The tense expressing would.
J'aimerais
An alternative meaning I would like.

Related topics

Written and reviewed against the current AQA specification. Spotted an error? Let us know.