Conditional Mood of Verbs
Slovenian ⋙
Slovenian A1
Welcome to our Slovenian grammar course for beginners! Today, we're going to talk about the conditional mood.
The conditional mood or conditional tense in Slovenian (Pogojnik, Pogojni naklon) is used to express events or actions that are dependent on hypothetical situations or a condition. It's essential for effective communication, enabling us to convey nuanced ideas and possibilities beyond concrete facts. Let's go through the basics of the conditional mood.
How to form
The conjugation of Slovenian verbs in the conditional mood is the same as in the past tense, except using the particle
bi (would) instead of forms of the verb "
biti" (to be). The participle is formed by removing the "
-ti" suffix from the infinitive of verbs and adding the following suffixes:
-l/-la/-lo (musculine/feminine/neuter singular) or
-la/-li (feminine/neuter dual) or
-li/-le/-la (musculine/feminine/neuter plural). We talked about the participle in
the article on the past tense in Slovenian.
When and how to use
The conditional mood is used to express a hypothetical proposition or events that are dependent on certain conditions. This allows the speaker to convey situations that may or may not occur.
Example:
Če bi imel / imela več denarja, bi živel / živela na otoku. (If I had more money, I would line up on an island.)
The conditional mood can be used for polite requests. It softens the request and adds politeness to the conversation.
Example:
Bi mi povedali, kako priti do muzeja? (Could you tell me how to get to the museum?)
It can convey doubt, uncertainty, or a lack of commitment to a statement or action.
Example:
Mogoče bi šel / šla na zabavo. (Maybe I would go to the party.)
In speech, the conditional mood can be used to convey future actions or events as seen from a past perspective.
Example
Rekel je, da bi prišel kasneje. (He said he would come later.)
The Conditional mood is often used in conditional clauses to express the consequences of a hypothetical situation.
Example:
Če bi imel / imela več časa, bi si privoščil / privoščila še en izlet. (If I had more time, I would treat myself to another trip.)
And to make it completely clear, we will show the following example with the verb "
vedeti" (to know):
Jaz bi vedel Jaz bi vedela (I [ masculine / feminine ] would know)
Ti bi vedel Ti bi vedela (You [ masculine / feminine ] would know)
On bi vedel Ona bi vedela Ono bi vedelo (He would know / She would know / It would know)
Midva bi vedela Midve bi vedeli (We two [ masculine / feminine ] would know)
Vidva bi vedela Vidve bi vedeli (You two [ masculine / feminine ] would know)
Onadva bi vedela Onidve bi vedeli (They two [ masculine / feminine or neuter ] would know)
Mi bi vedeli Me bi vedele (We [ masculine / feminine ] would know)
Vi bi vedeli Ve bi vedele (You [ masculine / feminine ] would know)
Oni bi vedeli One bi vedele Ona bi vedela (They [ masculine / feminine / neuter ] would know)
Summary
In summary, the conditional mood in Slovenian is a vital linguistic tool for expressing hypothetical situations, politeness, doubt, and more. This greatly enriches communication by allowing speakers to convey a wide range of nuanced ideas and possibilities. Usage of the conditional mood will enhance your proficiency in the Slovenian language.
We are waiting for you in the next lesson, where we will talk about
negation in Slovenian. Good luck!