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The conditional used to communicate probability or conjecture
I am working on a section in my workbook about the Spanish conditional. One of the comments is that conditional can be used to communicate probability or conjecture when referring to a past time or activity with verbs like decir, estar, haber, ser and tener. The following examples are given:
- Estaríamos ocupados cuando llamaste. (We were probably busy when you called.) - Habría unos veinte autos. (There were approximately twenty cars.) - ¿Cuánto costaría el traje que compró Ricardo? (I wonder how much the suit Ricardo bought cost.) Can you please provide me with some examples with verbs like decir and tener? And some others, if you care to? Thanks!!
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- Lou Ann, de Washington, DC, USA Específicamente quiero recibir ayuda con el español de latinoamerica. ¡Muchísimas gracias! |
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#2
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En aquel tiempo yo tenía doce años At that time I was twelve En aquel tiempo yo tendría doce años At that time I must have been twelve |
#3
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el año pasado lo he dicho- last year I said that
el año pasado lo habría dicho- last year I probably/must´ve said that
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"There´s always money in the banana stand michael!" --george bluthe sir |
#4
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Yo diría que el chico que trajo el paquete era pariente tuyo.
¿Dirías que me queda bien este bolso con este vestido? Tendría veinte años cuando te conocí. Tendría en cuenta otros factores antes de decidir. |
#5
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Using Perikles example with "decir"
Digo que tiene doce años - I'm saying he's twelve years old. Diría que tiene doce años - I'd say he's twelve/he's probably twelve/he must be twelve
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"Desiderata" - ...be gentle with yourself.You are a child of this universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. ...sé amable contigo mismo. Eres una criatura de este universo al igual que los árboles y las estrellas; tienes derecho a estar aquí. |
#6
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past subjunctive. So I would say: Tendría veinte añps cuando te conociera? Am I wrong?
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Me ayuda si corrige mis errores. Gracias. |
#7
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Some others, as requested.
Serían las cuatro cuando sucedió el accidente. The accident must have happened at four. ¿Qué querría el señor que tocó a la puerta? Cuando abrí, se echó a correr. I wonder what the man who knocked on the door? He ran away when I opened it . ¿Por qué Juan no me hablaría? ¿Estará enojado? Why wouldn't Juan talk to me? I wonder if he's angry. -- ¿Qué cantaría Gian Marco en el concierto? (I wonder what Gian Marco would have sung in the concert.) -- Yo creo que cantaría canciones de su último disco. (I think he sang songs from his last album.) A los niños les enseñarían mal a resolver estas ecuaciones. Es la única explicación que encuentro a que ninguno entienda lo que les explico ahora. Children must have been taught bad to solve these equations. That's the only explanation I find to the fact that no one understands what I'm explaining now to them. @Poli: Subjunctive doesn't fit all the cases when conditional is used. "Tendría veinte años cuando te conocí" is something that did happen in the past, but I'm not sure about when exactly, so I make an approximation of the age I had back then. Some cases with conditional-subjunctive: Querría que me dijeras qué te molesta. I'd like you to tell me what bothers you. Disculpe, ¿podría decirle al mesero que me traiga la cuenta? Excuse me, could you tell the waiter to bring me the check? Mi mamá ha comprado tantos billetes de lotería que me gustaría que un día se la ganara. My mother has bought that many lotto tickets, that I would like her to win some time. Haría lo que fuera para que mis hijos se coman las verduras. I would do anything so my children would eat the vegetables.
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♪ ♫ ♪ Ain't it wonderful to be alive when the Rock'n'Roll plays... ♪ ♫ ♪ Last edited by AngelicaDeAlquezar; March 22, 2010 at 08:15 AM. Reason: Added an answer to Poli. |
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#9
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Thank you, Rusty!
I'll try to stay more attentive at the word order.
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♪ ♫ ♪ Ain't it wonderful to be alive when the Rock'n'Roll plays... ♪ ♫ ♪ |
#10
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Quote:
Si tuviera veinte años, me iría a dar la vuelta al mundo. Si hubiera estudiado más, tendría más oportunidades en el mundo laboral. |
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