I read many translations of "would you" but I still doubt it. I would like to ask someone following question in French :
What job would you like to have?
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3What many translations have you heard, and why do you "still doubt it" (whatever "it" is)?– DrewFeb 29, 2016 at 3:03
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5 Answers
What you want to express in your sentence is something you would like, a wish. We're talking about a possibility.
In French, you would translate would you with verbs in a conditional tense expressing this idea of the to like verb. You can then translate it with voudriez-vous, aimeriez-vous, ou encore souhaiteriez-vous. All of those forms could be used in your sentence :
Quel travail voudriez-vous avoir ?
Quel travail aimeriez-vous avoir ?
Quel travail souhaiteriez-vous avoir ?
Though, it wouldn't be the same for another sentence. For instance, if your sentence is :
Would you do this ?
You're talking about an action, something you would do. Then, you would translate it with the verb faire :
Feriez-vous cela ?
The main thing to keep in mind is that there is no direct word or expression to translate would you. You will use a verb in a conditional tense to express this idea of potentiality. Mainly, use the verb after would you in your sentence, translate it in French, and conjugate it in a conditional tense :
Would you dance with me ?
Would give :
Danseriez-vous avec moi ?
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4"Danseriez-vous avec moi?" is rather formal. You could also ask "Voulez-vous danser avec moi?" or "Est-ce que l'on danse ensemble?" or "Est-ce qu'on danse ensemble?" or even "Un petit pas de danse?".– MasBFeb 29, 2016 at 0:37
We usually use the conditional tense
Quel travail aimeriez-vous avoir ?
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Of course. I believe the important part here is the tense though, the choice of verb remains quite open.– nchagnetFeb 27, 2016 at 12:57
Would you is equal to Voudrais-vous exactly, because the you personal pronoun is vous in French.
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Actually, it would be "Voudriez-vous", and not "Voudrais-vous". Please don't answer if your answer gives nothing more than the accepted answer. Here, Isuka have already talked about it...– RandomApr 26, 2016 at 7:50
Doesn't anyone use the subjunctive these days? Very polite:
Veuillez me faire savoir le travail/métier qui vous plait?
Or, simply:
Qu'est ce que vous voulez faire comme travail/métier?
or, down your route:
Quel travail vous plairait le plus?
Would you = Voudrais-tu ? (singular) Voudriez-vous (more than one person addressing)
Want to dance = Veux-tu danser ?
