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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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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James, check the discussion below the lesson. I suspect you might find your answer there.
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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
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!
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)
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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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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I understand the use of the conditional but why is it not acceptable to have "arriverait" instead of "serait"?
I understand the use of the conditional but why is it not acceptable to have "arriverait" instead of "serait"?
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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?
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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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.
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.
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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Racheter means "to buy again" or "to buy some more".
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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
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!
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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Hi John,
...au cas où il ferait beau or ...au cas où il y aurait du soleil both are ok.
-- Chris.
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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.
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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 !
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I believe it is entirely optional, just like in English
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
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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:
Would "Anthony apporte ses lunettes de soleil au cas où il ferait du soleil." also be acceptable?
Merci!
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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!
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