In French, you can use "je voudrais" and "je veux" to say that you want something. There is still a difference as to which to use.
When to use 'je voudrais' and 'je veux' in French
Look at these examples:
Note that to ask for something in French, you could use two forms of the verb vouloir:
je veux (I want) or je voudrais (I would want/like)
je veux (I want) or je voudrais (I would want/like)
Je voudrais is preferable in social contexts such as in a restaurant, as it is more polite and subtle than the blunt je veux (just like in English).
[Note that j'aimerais (I would like) is also very commonly used in more polite contexts.]
Grammar point: Je veux is in Le Présent tense (I want), whereas je voudrais is in Le Conditionnel (I would want/like).
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