sou ... het

Would Have: Sou ... Het

Level 4

Sou + ge- form + het = would have: Ek sou gekom het, maar ek was siek. (I would have come, but I was sick.)

How It Works

How to build it. Put sou in the verb slot, then the ge- form and het at the end:

  • Ek sou gekom het. (I would have come.)
  • Sy sou jou gehelp het. (She would have helped you.)
  • Dit sou lekker gewees het. (That would have been nice.)

The ge- form comes before het, which is the opposite of English have come. See verbs together at the end.

With maar. A maar clause often says why it did not happen: Ek sou gekom het, maar ek was siek.

With an as clause. In an unreal past condition, the main clause uses sou ... het: As ek dit geweet het, sou ek gehelp het. (If I had known, I would have helped.) The as clause comes first, so sou comes right after it. See unreal past conditions.

Negatives and questions. Ek sou dit nie gedoen het nie. (I wouldn't have done that.) Wat sou jy gedoen het? (What would you have done?)

Similar patterns. The same shape works with other past modals: moes ... het (should have) and kon ... het (could have). Do not confuse it with sal ... het, which means will have. In news reports, sou ... het can also mean allegedly did (see sou (alleged)).

Examples (6)

  1. Ek sou gekom het, maar ek was siek.

    I would have come, but I was sick.

    Word by Word: I would come have, but I was sick.

  2. As ek dit geweet het, sou ek gehelp het.

    If I had known, I would have helped.

    Word by Word: If I it known had, would I helped have.

    The as clause comes first, so sou comes straight after it.

  3. Dit sou lekker gewees het.

    That would have been nice.

    Word by Word: It would nice been have.

  4. Ek sou dit nie gedoen het nie.

    I wouldn't have done that.

    Word by Word: I would it not done have not.

  5. Wat sou jy gedoen het?

    What would you have done?

    Word by Word: What would you done have?

  6. Sy sou jou gebel het, maar sy het jou nommer verloor.

    She would have called you, but she lost your number.

    Word by Word: She would you called have, but she has your number lost.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out ge- on the main verb.

    Ek sou kom het, maar ek was siek.
    Ek sou gekom het, maar ek was siek.

    The main verb needs its ge- form: gekom.

  • Using English order for the last two verbs.

    Ek sou het gekom, maar ek was siek.
    Ek sou gekom het, maar ek was siek.

    The ge- form comes first and het comes last.

  • Using sal instead of sou.

    Ek sal gekom het, maar ek was siek.
    Ek sou gekom het, maar ek was siek.

    Sal ... het means will have. For would have, use sou.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

sou ... hetLevel 4Would Have: Sou ... Het

Learn This First

Sou ... het talks about what would have happened.

Words in This Pattern

sou