If I had enough money, I'd go to Peru

[Peter]

What translation would be best?

Si tendría bastante dinero, iba a Perú.
Si tendría bastante dinero, iría a Perú.
Si tenía bastante dinero, iría a Perú.

The last one would be the most literal translation, but would a native speaker say it like this (assuming a native speaker would like to go to Peru )? In Dutch I'd propably say "Als ik genoeg geld zou hebben ging ik naar Peru", which is closer to the first translation.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Peter

What translation would be best?

Si tendría bastante dinero, iba a Perú.
Si tendría bastante dinero, iría a Perú.
Si tenía bastante dinero, iría a Perú.

The last one would be the most literal translation, but would a native speaker say it like this (assuming a native speaker would like to go to Peru )? In Dutch I'd propably say "Als ik genoeg geld zou hebben ging ik naar Peru", which is closer to the first translation.

Si tuviera suficiente/bastante dinero/plata, iría a Perú.

[poli]

Originally Posted by Peter

What translation would be best?

Si tendría bastante dinero, iba a Perú.
Si tendría bastante dinero, iría a Perú.
Si tenía bastante dinero, iría a Perú.

The last one would be the most literal translation, but would a native speaker say it like this (assuming a native speaker would like to go to Peru )? In Dutch I'd propably say "Als ik genoeg geld zou hebben ging ik naar Peru", which is closer to the first translation.

Si tuviera suficiente dinero, iría a Perú

Easy rule: in a compound sentence where the conditional tense is used the verb in the other part of the sentence takes the imperfect subjuctive

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Peter

In Dutch I'd propably say "Als ik genoeg geld zou hebben ging ik naar Peru",

Originally Posted by poli

Si tuviera suficiente dinero, iría a Perú

Easy rule: in a compound sentence where the conditional tense is used the verb in the other part of the sentence takes the imperfect subjuctive

I can’t speak for Dutch, but English and German have the same subjunctive construction as Spanish:

If I had enough money … (which is an English subjunctive)
Wenn ich genug Geld hätte …. (imperfect subjunctive indicating a hypothetical situation)

[CrOtALiTo]

I have a question.

Had means tube in pass.

Then I knew that kind to phrases are translated so.

I would have enough money, I go to Perú.

I will waiting your commentary.

[Rusty]

Crotalito,

The title of this thread ("If I had enough money, I'd go to Peru.") is perfect English for the perfect translation given by both chileno and poli ("Si tuviera suficiente dinero, iría a Perú."). Take note that 'tuviera' is the equivalent of the English 'had', in the subjunctive mood. The English 'had' is also the past tense of 'have', as you stated.

I had a cat. (indicative mood, past tense)
Tuve un gato.

If I had a cat, I'd be happy. (subjunctive mood - conditional in the main clause)
Si tuviera un gato, estaría contento.

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Crotalito,

The title of this thread ("If I had enough money, I'd go to Peru.") is perfect English for the perfect translation given by both chileno and poli ("Si tuviera suficiente dinero, iría a Perú."). Take note that 'tuviera' is the equivalent of the English 'had', in the subjunctive mood. The English 'had' is also the past tense of 'have', as you stated.

I had a cat. (indicative mood, past tense)
Tuve un gato.

If I had a cat, I'd be happy. (subjunctive mood - conditional in the main clause)
Si tuviera un gato, estaría contento.

Thank you Rusty.

Really I didn't know this, this result new for me.
The verbal time substantive mood.

Although I'm a little suck, because I want to understand if the valor of the time verbal is gave for the word if in this case, because I saw your examples and they start with if word.

If I had a better server my site had more complete in the infrastructure.
In this case the verb is became for the word if.

If I had, If you had etc.

I this other case the had is involve the pass in English.

I had a computer better than this ones.

I wait your commentary.

Sincerely yours.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

Really, I didn't know this. This is new for me - the verbal tense 'substantive mood'.
I wrote 'subjunctive mood'. A mood is not a verb tense. It's a mood. Spanish and English both have moods, and verb tenses.
Hablaba del modo subjuntivo (I was speaking about the subjunctive mood), no los tiempos verbales (not the verb tenses).

Although I'm a little stuck, however, because I want to understand if the verb tense was chosen because of the word 'if', in this case, because I saw your examples and they start with the word 'if'.

If I had a better server, my site would have a more complete in the infrastructure.
(Si tuviera un servidor mejor, mi sitio tendría una infraestructura más completa.)

In this case, the verb 'had' is in the subjunctive mood because the conditional mood appears in the main clause (my site would have ...).

If I had, If you had etc. These are valid indicative mood structures, by themselves. If you had followed the word 'had' with another verb, in what looks like the past tense, that would have been using the subjunctive mood.

In this other case, the word 'had' is in the past tense in English.

I had a computer better than this ones.

I await your comments.

Sincerely yours.

The word 'had', in your last sentence, is in the past tense of the indicative mood. You used it correctly.
The English subjunctive mood is a bit different than the Spanish subjunctive mood, but in the cases cited above, it was the use of the conditional mood (tense) that caused the need for the subjunctive mood, not the word 'if'. (The word 'if' is often present when the conditional mood is used.)

[Peter]

Originally Posted by poli

Si tuviera suficiente dinero, iría a Perú

Easy rule: in a compound sentence where the conditional tense is used the verb in the other part of the sentence takes the imperfect subjuctive

Thank you. I suppose you would also use the imperfect subjunctive in answering the following question:
¿Querrías ir a Perú?
Sí, si tuviera suficiente dinero.
In this case the answer isn't a compound sentence (but I suppose this answer might be a simplified version of: I would like to do that, if I had enough money.)

Would it be correct to use the imperfect subjunctive in any sentence with a condition that isn't met? Though this form does seem to indicate a certain desperation, as you could probably also use the indicative:
Si tengo suficiente dinero, voy/iré a Perú
Right?

And Perikles, the subjunctive is rarely used in modern Dutch (just like the grammatical cases), but historically one might have said: Ik ging naar Peru, hadde ik genoeg geld..

[aleCcowaN]

Originally Posted by Peter

Si tengo suficiente dinero, voy/iré a Perú

This sentence has lost all hypothetical value in it. The decision is already made and you are gathering money. Indicative in Spanish means the action is real and happening. In an informal level or among people uneducated and with an extremely narrow mental palette it could replace the hypothetical one expressed with imperfect subjunctive.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Peter

Thank you. I suppose you would also use the imperfect subjunctive in answering the following question:
¿Querrías ir a Perú?
Sí, si tuviera suficiente dinero.
In this case the answer isn't a compound sentence (but I suppose this answer might be a simplified version of: I would like to do that, if I had enough money.)..

Yes it is compound, because as you say, it is the simplified version. The implication is that you have not got the money

Originally Posted by Peter

Would it be correct to use the imperfect subjunctive in any sentence with a condition that isn't met? Though this form does seem to indicate a certain desperation, as you could probably also use the indicative:
Si tengo suficiente dinero, voy/iré a Perú
Right?..

Wrong. The imperfect subjunctive is standard. Your Si tengo suficiente dinero, voy a Perú has a different meaning, and could be understood as an open conditional that might or might not be met in the future.

Originally Posted by Peter

And Perikles, the subjunctive is rarely used in modern Dutch (just like the grammatical cases), but historically one might have said: Ik ging naar Peru, hadde ik genoeg geld..

Thanks - looks nearer the German I quoted.

Edit: cross-posting with @Alec. (ps. On an informal level )

[Peter]

Dear Alec and Perikles,

I was aware of the difference in meaning between the two sentences, but I merely thought up the second as an example in which a condition isn't met but the imperfect subjuntive isn't used. Because gramatically it is a correct sentence right?

[aleCcowaN]

Originally Posted by Peter

Because gramatically it is a correct sentence right?

With a narrow use, yes. But I'm sure it has little to do with what you were asking in the beginning of this thread.

[CrOtALiTo]

Rusty.

How are you?

I have read all your corrections and I thank you your time spent in correct me, thank very much for your corrections.

[Peter]

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN

With a narrow use, yes. But I'm sure it has little to do with what you were asking in the beginning of this thread.

Correct

[subtleisntme]

If clauses in the past tense are ALWAYS in the subjunctive. It's hard for native English speakers because our subjunctive doesn't change form anymore, for the most part. But think of this sentence, and see if it helps you:

If I WERE a rich girl, I'd (I would) have all the money in the world.

People commonly say "If I was," but that is incorrect.