With certain verbs, the conditional tense lends the statement a very polite tone. As a result, these verbs are often used in the conditional, especially when making requests. It is considered more formal and less demanding.

You will often encounter the verbs aimer, pouvoir, and vouloir used in the conditional tense. This is actually very similar to the English way of asking questions politely. Aimer transforms into “would like,” pouvoir into “could,” and vouloir into “would like.”

When ordering a meal in a restaurant, the exchange with your waiter will almost always occur using the conditional tense. Here is a typical conversation in a restaurant: