Je serai or Je serais? Don't make the mistake again!

Je serai or Je serais? What's the difference?

« Je serai »  is the future simple form of the verb "être" (to be).

Normally, when you speak, you should be able to hear the difference and even tell the difference.

"Je serais" is the present conditional form of the verb "être" (to be).

"Je serai" is pronounced with a closed "é", the sound of the acute accent, while "Je serais" is pronounced with an open "è", the sound of the grave accent. However, this distinction is often overlooked, especially by our friends in the "rose brotherhood", i.e. those who pronounce the word rose with an open o sound, as in "tort". We're talking here about our readers in the south of France.

It's a mistake not to differentiate between the pronunciation of "Je serai" and "Je serais". This ambiguity is often at the root of spelling mistakes.

Grammatical analysis of "Je serai"

Je (personal subject pronoun) serai (1st person singular of the verb to be conjugated in the future simple tense)

Grammatical analysis of "Je serais"

I (subject personal pronoun) would be (verb to be conjugated in the present conditional)

When to use "Je serais" (I would be)

We can use "I'll be" when writing in the future tense to express what will happen later. We're in the realm of the certain.

"I'll be old in a few years

"I'll be at the rendezvous tomorrow at 2 p.m.

When to use "Je serais" (I would be)

The conditional is used to express a possibility, probability or uncertainty.

"I'd be happy to spend the vacations with you" ->« Je serais heureux de passer les vacances avec toi »

"If I had the money, I would have gone abroad" -> « Si j’avais l’argent, je serais parti à l’étranger »

"I'd be delighted to take on this project" -> « Je serais ravie de m’occuper de ce projet »

"If I'd known, I wouldn't have come!" -> « Si j’avais su, je ne serais pas venu ! »

How do I use "Je serais" in a cover letter?

In a cover letterWe can use "I would be" to express a possibility or probability.

• "I would be honored to join your team".

• "I'd be happy to talk to you about my compétences with you during an interview".

• " ,I would be grateful to meet me for an interview".

To leave no room for doubt, and to demonstrate your assertiveness, you'll prefer a simpler, more direct indicative formula such as "I'd like to meet you and discuss my skills at an interview".

On the other hand, you will use the future tense in these cases:

• "I will be available for an interview from 7 p.m. every evening".

The difference between I will be and I will be

1. "I will be diligent in the performance of my duties and strive for professional excellence." : In this case, "I will" is used to describe a personal quality and a firm commitment to being diligent and striving for professional excellence in the future.
   
   Explanation : "If I had this opportunity, I would be determined to be diligent in carrying out my tasks and to achieve professional excellence." Here, "I would be" is used to express a hypothetical condition. The person indicates that he or she would be determined to be diligent and achieve professional excellence if given the opportunity, but this depends on the employer's decision.
2. "I would be honored to contribute my skills and dedication to your renowned company." : In this example, "I'll be" is used to express a sense of honor and absolute commitment to contributing one's skills to the company. It shows a firm and confident willingness to act in the future.
   
   Explanation If I were selected for this position, I would be delighted to contribute to your renowned company. Here, "I would be" is used to express a hypothetical condition. The person indicates that he or she would be delighted to contribute to the company if selected for the position, but this depends on the employer's decision.

At this point, you should no longer be hesitating between Je serai or je serais! If that's the case, get help from the pros !

If you have any further questions about cover letters, we recommend this article on using ,"I could" or "I will be able to" in a cover letter.

Other tips for writing a cover letter are also available.

Conjugate the verb to be in the future simple tense

• I will be

• You'll be

• He/she will be

• We will be

• You will be

• They will be

Conjugate the verb to be in the present conditional tense

• I would be

• You'd be

• He/she would be

• We would be

• You would be

• They would be

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Key points to remember from this article

This article entitled "Je serais ou Je serai? What's the difference?" explains the distinction between the "je serais" and "je serai" conjugations of the verb "être". "I will be is the future simple indicative form, used in the to describe certain future actions or events. On the other hand, " I would be "is the present conditional form used in the to express possibility, probability or uncertainty. The article stresses the importance of correct pronunciation of both forms. It also gives examples of how to use them in a cover letter, and presents the conjugations of the verb "to be" in the relevant tenses.