From the lesson:
J'en ai rachete, juste au cas ou. And "with juste au cas ou, youn can only use Le Conditional.
But the conditional is j'aurais achete or is this s typo?
Jack
To express (just) in case in French, you use the expression (juste) au cas où.
Look at the following examples:
J'en ai racheté, juste au cas où.
I bought some more, just in case.
Nous avons acheté de la crème solaire, au cas où.
We bought some suntan lotion, just in case.
Au cas où vous vous demanderiez où elle est, elle est allée au marché.
In case you're wondering where she is, she went to the market.
Je te le dis au cas où tu ne serais pas au courant.
I'm telling you in case you weren't aware of it.
The delicate point here is the question of the mood following au cas où. Indeed, as it expresses an uncertain state or an hypothesis, you could be tempted to use Le Subjonctif. That would be a mistake!
With the expression (juste) au cas où, you can only use Le Conditionnel.
Je te le dis au cas où tu ne le saurais pas.
I'm telling you in case you don't know.
Au cas où vous auriez faim, je vous ai fait un sandwich.
In case you get hungry, I made you a sandwich.
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Je te le dis au cas où tu ne serais pas au courant.
I'm telling you in case you weren't aware of it.
Au cas où vous vous demanderiez où elle est, elle est allée au marché.
In case you're wondering where she is, she went to the market.
Je te le dis au cas où tu ne le saurais pas.
I'm telling you in case you don't know.
Nous avons acheté de la crème solaire, au cas où.
We bought some suntan lotion, just in case.
Au cas où vous auriez faim, je vous ai fait un sandwich.
In case you get hungry, I made you a sandwich.
J'en ai racheté, juste au cas où.
I bought some more, just in case.
Q&A Forum 19 questions, 33 answers
The conditional comes after the au cas où.
J'en ai racheté, juste au cas où tu l'oublierais. -- I bought them again, just in case you forget it.
As you can see, oublierais is the conditional, not racheté.
Jack asked:View original
Juste au cas ou
From the lesson:
J'en ai rachete, juste au cas ou. And "with juste au cas ou, youn can only use Le Conditional.
But the conditional is j'aurais achete or is this s typo?
Jack
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RichardKwiziq community member
Au cas où
I understand, when I remember, how to use ‘au cas où’.
However, why can’t you use ‘il me faudrait’ after it, rather than ‘je devrais’. Both are in the conditional tense, and both mean (I think) ‘I must’.
Anyone know please?
Here’s the relevant question, a translation of ‘in case I have to go out again’, which was marked as wrong: au cas où il me faudrait ressortir
Asked 5 months ago
Grammatically the sentence seems ok to me. It's just that it sounds a bit stilted and you wouldn't say it like this in everyday conversations.
Richard asked:View original
Au cas où
I understand, when I remember, how to use ‘au cas où’.
However, why can’t you use ‘il me faudrait’ after it, rather than ‘je devrais’. Both are in the conditional tense, and both mean (I think) ‘I must’.
Anyone know please?
Here’s the relevant question, a translation of ‘in case I have to go out again’, which was marked as wrong: au cas où il me faudrait ressortir
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JamesKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Au cas où or juste au cas où, when do you insert juste?
Asked 5 months ago
James, check the discussion below the lesson. I suspect you might find your answer there.
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Dr MichaelKwiziq community member
Le mot « juste » devant au cas où me semble être une faute.
À ma connaissance, le mot juste est une calque sur français du mot « just » en anglais. « Just » est un adverbe en anglais, mais je le crois un adjectif en français. Par exemple: « ce que tu dis est juste » en français, mais on ne dit pas « je suis juste arrivé ». One dirait « je viens d’arriver » pour éviter le calque erroné , mais je pense que « juste au cas où » est INCORRECT.
Pourrait-on clarifier ce point de grammaire pour moi? Merci beaucoup
Dr Michael Elinski
Asked 5 months ago
Hi Dr Michael,
"Just" to add to what Chris has said -
'juste' in this case is an adverb and it 'just' makes 'au cas où' more emphatic.
In the case of 'je viens d'arriver' you could also say -
Je viens juste d'arriver
which would translate -
I have just arrived this very minute
which you could accuse of being a pleonasm but is very much used in French to convey the fact this action has just (this minute )happened.
Hope this helps!
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Juste in French behaves almost exactly like "just" in English. In English it can be either adverb or adjective, too: He is fighting for a just cause. He is just figthing for a cause. The first sentence uses "just" as adjective, wherease the second uses it as an adverb.
La punition est juste. -- The punishment is just (= adjective)
Je prends la parapluie juste au cas où. -- I'm taking the umbrella just in case (=adverb)
Dr Michael asked:View original
Le mot « juste » devant au cas où me semble être une faute.
À ma connaissance, le mot juste est une calque sur français du mot « just » en anglais. « Just » est un adverbe en anglais, mais je le crois un adjectif en français. Par exemple: « ce que tu dis est juste » en français, mais on ne dit pas « je suis juste arrivé ». One dirait « je viens d’arriver » pour éviter le calque erroné , mais je pense que « juste au cas où » est INCORRECT.
Pourrait-on clarifier ce point de grammaire pour moi? Merci beaucoup
Dr Michael Elinski
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JamesKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
The inclusion of juste in the tutorial is not specific.
Asked 5 months ago
I don't know what you mean by "not specific".
Juste au cas où -- just in case
Au cas où -- in case
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AlexandraKwiziq community member
Use of conditional with Au cas ou
I understand the use of the conditional but why is it not acceptable to have "arriverait" instead of "serait"?
Asked 6 months ago
Alexandra asked:View original
Use of conditional with Au cas ou
I understand the use of the conditional but why is it not acceptable to have "arriverait" instead of "serait"?
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DonaldKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Je me change au cas où je devrais ressortir.
Bonjour à tous: Je me demande que j'arrive à utiliser une autre phrase: . Je sais que je dois utiliser la première phrase. C'est possible d'utiliser la deuxième phrase?
Asked 7 months ago
Donald asked:View original
Je me change au cas où je devrais ressortir.
Bonjour à tous: Je me demande que j'arrive à utiliser une autre phrase: . Je sais que je dois utiliser la première phrase. C'est possible d'utiliser la deuxième phrase?
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JerryKwiziq community member
Au cas où + conditionnel
Then you put 2 examples that do NOT use the conditionnelle. I am now totally confused.
Then you use juste sometimes and not others with no explanation.
Please explain full.
Asked 7 months ago
There are two ways to use "au cas où", very much like in English:
(1) I told you, just in case. -- Je te l'ai dit, juste au cas où. There is no conditional here.
(2) In case you are late, come see me. -- Au cas où vous seriez en retard, venez me voir. In this case there is a conditional, since au cas où isn't by itself any more.
Jerry asked:View original
Au cas où + conditionnel
Then you put 2 examples that do NOT use the conditionnelle. I am now totally confused.
Then you use juste sometimes and not others with no explanation.
Please explain full.
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JohnKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Why 'J'en ai racheté' not 'J'en ai acheté' in the first example?
Asked 1 year ago
Racheter means "to buy again" or "to buy some more".
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StewartKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
No liaison between S and O in the expression 'au cas où
As I understand, a normally silent consonant at the end of a word should be pronounced if the following word starts with a vowel.
Could you please explain why this does not happen with the S and O in the expression 'au caS Où
Thank you
Asked 1 year ago
Hi Stewart,
This is a case when both are possible.
As 'au cazou' sounds a bit funny people will say with a smile stressing the liaison between the 's' and the 'o'.
Well spotted!
Stewart asked:View original
No liaison between S and O in the expression 'au cas où
As I understand, a normally silent consonant at the end of a word should be pronounced if the following word starts with a vowel.
Could you please explain why this does not happen with the S and O in the expression 'au caS Où
Thank you
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JohnKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
.....in case it's sunny
The answer given is '....au cas où il fesait beau'. Couldn't you say as an alternative '....au cas où il y aurait du soleil'?
Asked 1 year ago
Hi John,
...au cas où il ferait beau or ...au cas où il y aurait du soleil both are ok.
-- Chris.
AlmutKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
In my book "il fait beau" means the weather is nice. The sun does not necessarily have to shine for the weather to be nice. Therefore "il fait beau" is not an appropriate translation for "it's sunny".
John asked:View original
.....in case it's sunny
The answer given is '....au cas où il fesait beau'. Couldn't you say as an alternative '....au cas où il y aurait du soleil'?
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Kwiziq community member
I am confused: the first two sentences use the past tense, one with juste au cas oû, the other au cas oû but your explanation only talks about the
conditional tense and not why these first two sentences are different.
Asked 1 year ago
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
The past tense occurs in the main clause, the conditional is always used in the subordinate clause started by au cas où.
I'm not sure if that answers your question.
-- Chris.
Susan asked:View original
I am confused: the first two sentences use the past tense, one with juste au cas oû, the other au cas oû but your explanation only talks about the
conditional tense and not why these first two sentences are different.
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TinaKwiziq community member
In the explanation you have '(juste) au cas où' but you have marked me wrong for putting the word 'juste' in brackets.
Asked 1 year ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Tina !
The brackets in the lesson mean that you can use either "juste au cas où" or "au cas où" interchangeably, however when giving an answer, you simply have to pick one of these two options :)
I hope that's helpful!
Bonne journée !
TinaKwiziq community member
Thank you. I knew it meant it was optional but thought I could put that in my answer.
Tina asked:View original
In the explanation you have '(juste) au cas où' but you have marked me wrong for putting the word 'juste' in brackets.
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PaulKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
juste au cas où and au cas où
Hello, In the examples given juste au cas où and au cas où both translate as just in case when at the end of a sentence. Is there a way to know when to add juste, or is it entirely optional? Thanks.
Asked 1 year ago
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
I believe it is entirely optional, just like in English
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
MichaelKwiziq community member
Being pedantic, "juste" in this sense is an Anclicism. Ce n'est pas juste!
Paul asked:View original
juste au cas où and au cas où
Hello, In the examples given juste au cas où and au cas où both translate as just in case when at the end of a sentence. Is there a way to know when to add juste, or is it entirely optional? Thanks.
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BarbaraKwiziq community member
When is "jusqu'au cas où used instead of "au cas où"?
Asked 2 years ago
Bonjour Barbara !
"Jusqu'au cas où" doesn't exist at all, you're probably thinking of "juste au cas où", which is indeed an alternate option :)
Bonne journée !
"Jusqu'au cas où" doesn't exist at all, you're probably thinking of "juste au cas où", which is indeed an alternate option :)
Bonne journée !
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JanKwiziq community member
The phrase "Anthony is bringing his sunglasses in case it's sunny" can be translated
The phrase "Anthony is bringing his sunglasses in case it's sunny" can be translated "Anthony apporte ses lunettes de soleil au cas où il ferait beau" but is there a way of using il y a du soleil instead or is it impossible because of the au cas où + le conditionnel-rule?
Asked 2 years ago
Bonjour Jan !
No, you could also use "il y a du soleil", simply with "avoir" in Le Conditionnel as such:
Anthony apporte ses lunettes de soleil au cas où il y aurait du soleil.
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
No, you could also use "il y a du soleil", simply with "avoir" in Le Conditionnel as such:
Anthony apporte ses lunettes de soleil au cas où il y aurait du soleil.
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
Bonjour Tom and Karl !
"Faire du soleil" is not the correct expression in French :)
Please have a look at our explanation in the related lesson:
Bonne journée !
Tom Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Would "il ferait du soleil" also be acceptable? I was marked "nearly correct for this.
KariKwiziq community member
Would "Anthony apporte ses lunettes de soleil au cas où il ferait du soleil." also be acceptable?
Merci!
AlmutKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
In the link you provide there is no mention of how to say it is sunny. Would "le soleil brille" work for you?
Tom Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
I am confused. I have seen 'faire du soleil' in numerous text books. It is also condoned by CNTRL and the Académie française.
Jan asked:View original
The phrase "Anthony is bringing his sunglasses in case it's sunny" can be translated
The phrase "Anthony is bringing his sunglasses in case it's sunny" can be translated "Anthony apporte ses lunettes de soleil au cas où il ferait beau" but is there a way of using il y a du soleil instead or is it impossible because of the au cas où + le conditionnel-rule?
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MelKwiziq community member
What is wrong with "just au cas où" at the end of a sentence? Mine was marked partially incorrect.
Asked 2 years ago
Mel asked:View original
What is wrong with "just au cas où" at the end of a sentence? Mine was marked partially incorrect.
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AurélieKwiziq team member
David asked: "Why does "au cas où" take the conditional rather than the subjunctive?"
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour David !
Unfortunately, I have to admit I have no explanation for you :(
I must even admit that as a native speaker, I actually used to make that mistake regularly before looking into it for the site...
All I can say is that Le Conditionnel is also a mode that expresses hypotheses and theoretical cases, hence it's logical that it'd be used in such a context.
I hope that's helpful!
Aurélie asked:View original
David asked: "Why does "au cas où" take the conditional rather than the subjunctive?"
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PaulineKwiziq community member
Were or Are?
"Au cas où vous vous demanderiez où elle est, elle est allée au marché."
Sorry if this sounds a silly question, but does the above translate... in case you are wondering or were wondering?
Asked 3 years ago
LauraKwiziq team member
Bonjour Pauline,
Literally, it's "you would be wondering," which we'd never say in English. Both "you were wondering" and "you are wondering" are acceptable.
Pauline asked:View original
Were or Are?
"Au cas où vous vous demanderiez où elle est, elle est allée au marché."
Sorry if this sounds a silly question, but does the above translate... in case you are wondering or were wondering?
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