Unreal Conditions With da sam

Unreal Conditions

Level 4

For an unreal past, put da + the perfect in the if-part and bih + participle in the result.

How It Works

Part	Form	Example
if-part	da + perfect	Da sam znao
result	conditional	došao bih

The conditional helper changes with the person: bih, bi, bi, bismo, biste, bi. The participle agrees with the speaker: došao bih (man), došla bih (woman).

The result can also use the past conditional: Da sam znao, bio bih došao. This puts more weight on the past. Both versions are good.

The sentence tells the listener that you did not know and did not come. Use a different pattern for things that may still happen: ako and the present.

Examples (5)

Da sam znao, došao bih.
If I had known, I would have come.
Da sam znao in the if-part.
Da je imala vremena, pozvala bi nas.
If she had had time, she would have invited us.
Third person, feminine.
Da smo ranije krenuli, stigli bismo na vrijeme.
If we had left earlier, we would have arrived on time.
Plural: bismo.
Da ste mi rekli, pomogao bih vam.
If you had told me, I would have helped you.
Polite vi in the if-part.
Da sam znao, bio bih došao.
If I had known, I would have come.
The past conditional version.

Common Mistakes

Using da bih for the if-part
Da bih znao, došao bih.
Da sam znao, došao bih.
In the standard, da bih means in order to, not if.

How It Connects

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

Unreal Conditions With da samLevel 4Unreal Conditions

Learn This First

A wish about the past.

The Conditional With Bih
Unreal conditions are a kind of conditional, so know the conditional with bih first.
Level 4

Words in This Pattern

daznati

Practice Unreal Conditions With da sam in Bubblegum

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