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The conditional with бы

The easiest conditional in any European language: take the past tense and add one word.

Quick answer

Past tense + бы = would. Я хоте́л бы = I would like. Е́сли бы я знал, я бы сказа́л = if I had known, I would have said.

How it is built

Я хоте́л бы ко́фе.I would like a coffee. — a man
Я хоте́ла бы ко́фе.I would like a coffee. — a woman
Мы могли́ бы пойти́.We could go.
Я бы не сказа́л.I wouldn’t say so.

There is no separate conditional tense and no difference between “would” and “would have” — the context does that work.

е́сли бы — if

Е́сли бы у меня́ бы́ло вре́мя, я бы пришёл.If I had time, I would come.
Е́сли бы я знал!If only I had known!

Both halves take бы, and both verbs are in the past. For a real, possible condition you use е́сли without бы: Е́сли бу́дет вре́мя, приду́.

Where you will use it first

Я хоте́л бы — the polite “I would like”, in every shop and restaurant. That sentence alone justifies learning the whole structure.

Typical mistakes

Я хочу́ бы

Я хоте́л бы

бы attaches to the past tense, never the present.

Е́сли бы бу́дет вре́мя

Е́сли бу́дет вре́мя / Е́сли бы бы́ло вре́мя

Either a real condition with the future, or an unreal one with бы and the past.

Check yourself

How do you say “I would like a coffee” (a woman speaking)?

Past tense + бы, feminine: хоте́ла бы.

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