Both « aurais-tu … ? » and « tu aurais … ? » come from the conditional of the verb avoir (to have).
Literally they translate to “Would you have … ?” or “Would you … ?” in English.
They’re used for polite requests, softening questions, hypotheticals, or to talk about what might have happened.

Aurais-tu … ? — meaning & use

• Meaning: “Would you have…?” (polite/formal).
• Tone: Formal or polite — common in writing or polite speech.
• Why it feels different: Word order is inverted (verb before subject), which sounds more official or courteous.
• Example: Aurais-tu un stylo ? → Would you have a pen? (polite request)
• When to pick it: When you want to sound polite or formal — e.g., in an email, in a polite request, or a formal conversation.

Tu aurais … ? — meaning & use

• Meaning: Also “Would you have…?” but more casual; can mean “Do you have…?” depending on context.
• Tone: Neutral to informal — what people use in everyday spoken French. Rising intonation turns it into a polite question.
• Other uses:
  • Hypothetical: Tu aurais envie d’y aller ? → Would you feel like going?
  • Conditional past idea when followed by a past participle and an auxiliary sense: Tu aurais dû venir. → You should’ve come / You ought to have come. (expresses regret or reproach)
• Example: Tu aurais un stylo ? → Do you have a pen? / Would you happen to have a pen?

Neutral option: very commonly used

• Est-ce que tu aurais … ? — polite, safe, and common in spoken French.
  • Est-ce que tu aurais l’heure ? → Do you have time?

Common mistake to avoid

• Don’t saySi tu aurais… for a real condition.
  • Wrong: Si tu aurais le temps…
  • Correct: Si tu avais le temps, tu viendrais. → If you had the time, you would come.
    Use imperfect (avais) for the “if” clause, not the conditional.

Pronunciation

• Aurais-tu ≈ “oh-ray too” (with a soft French ‘r’).
• Tu aurais ≈ “tu oh-ray” (said in normal speech, often shortened: T’aurais…?).