sou
Would: Sou
Sou + verb means would: Dit sou lekker wees. (That would be nice.) It is also the past form of sal.
How It Works
1. Would. Sou + infinitive talks about something imagined, or softens what you say:
- Dit sou lekker wees. (That would be nice.)
- Ek sou dit nie doen nie. (I wouldn't do that.)
2. Polite wishes. Sou graag wil is a common polite way to say what you would like: Ek sou graag wil help. (I would like to help.) Notice the order at the end: the modal wil comes before the infinitive help. Sou also makes requests softer: Sou jy my kan help? (Could you help me?) (see polite requests with sou).
3. The past of sal. Just as kan has the past form kon, sal has the past form sou. It reports a future seen from the past: Hy het gesê hy sou later bel. (He said he would call later.)
4. Word order. Sou stands in second place, and the infinitive goes last. For to be, use the infinitive wees, never is: Dit sou lekker wees.
Tip: Sou also builds would have (sou ... het) and if-sentences about imagined situations (as ... sou). Both are later steps.
Examples (5)
- Dit sou lekker wees.
That would be nice.
Word by Word: It would nice be.
- Ek sou graag wil help.
I would like to help.
Word by Word: I would gladly want help.
The modal wil comes before the infinitive help at the end.
- Hy het gesê hy sou later bel.
He said he would call later.
Word by Word: He has said he would later call.
Sou is the past of sal here: a future seen from the past.
- Ek sou dit nie doen nie.
I wouldn't do that.
Word by Word: I would it not do not.
- Sou jy my kan help?
Could you help me?
Word by Word: Would you me can help?
Sou makes the request softer and more polite.
Common Mistakes
Using is instead of the infinitive wees.
Dit sou lekker is.Dit sou lekker wees.Sou takes an infinitive, and the infinitive of is is wees.
Putting the infinitive before the modal at the end.
Ek sou graag help wil.Ek sou graag wil help.When a modal and an infinitive meet at the end, the modal comes first: wil help.
Adding te after sou.
Dit sou lekker te wees.Dit sou lekker wees.Like the other modals, sou takes a bare infinitive with no te.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Sou is related to sal and often means would.
Related Patterns
- kon/moes/wouModals in the Past
The past forms of the other everyday modals.
Level 2 - graagGraag (Like Doing)
Sou graag wil is a polite way to say what you would like.
Level 1 - sou (Polite Requests)Polite Requests with Sou
Sou jy ... kan? makes a request polite.
Level 4 - as ... souUnreal Conditions: As ... Sou
Sou in if-sentences about imagined situations.
Level 4 - sou ... hetWould Have: Sou ... Het
Sou + ge- form + het means would have.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice sou in Bubblegum
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