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

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

"I will be" is the future simple form of the verb to be.

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

"I would be" is the present conditional form of the verb 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 very often ignored, especially by our friends in the "rose brotherhood", in other words, those who pronounce the word rose with an open o sound, as in the word "tort". We're talking here about our readers who live in the south of France.

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

Grammatical analysis of "Je serai"

I (subject personal pronoun) will be (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 serai" in French

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

« Je serai vieux dans quelques années » (I'll be old in a few years)

« Je serai au rendez-vous demain à 14 heures » ("I'll be at the meeting tomorrow at 2pm")

When to use "Je serais" in French

The conditional is used when you are making a supposition and expressing a possibility, probability or uncertainty.

« Je serais heureux de passer les vacances avec toi » ("I'd be happy to spend the holidays with you")

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

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

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

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

In a cover letter, you can use "Je serais" to express a possibility or probability.

• « Je serais très honoré(e) de rejoindre votre équipe » ("I would be very honoured to join your team")

• « Je serais heureux(se) de discuter de mes "I'd be happy to talk to you about my skills with you during an interview".

• " ,Je vous saurais gré ( I would be grateful) de bien vouloir me recevoir pour un entretien »(to invite me for an interview)

To leave no room for doubt and be assertive, you'll prefer a simpler, more direct form of words 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. 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 they would be determined to be diligent and to achieve professional excellence if they were given the opportunity, but this depends on the employer's decision.
2. "I would be honoured to contribute my skills and dedication to your renowned company. In this example, "I will" is used to express a sense of honour and absolute commitment to contributing my 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" is used to express a hypothetical condition. The person is indicating that they would be delighted to contribute to the company if they were selected for the job, but this depends on the employer's decision.

At this stage, 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 covering letters, we recommend this article on using ,"I could" or "I will be able to" in a covering letter.

Other tips for writing a covering letter are also available.

Conjugate the verb to be in the future simple tense

• I will be

• You will 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 would 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 simple future form of the indicative, used to describe certain future actions or events. On the other hand, " I would be "is the present conditional form, used for the following purposes to express a possibility, probability or uncertainty. The article highlights the importance of pronouncing these two forms correctly. It also gives examples of their use in a covering letter and presents the conjugations of the verb "être" in the relevant tenses.