щях да + Verb

The Future in the Past

Level 3Sounds Like bʺdeŝe vreme v minaloto

To say what was going to happen, use щях да plus a present-tense verb: Щях да ти се обадя, но забравих. (I was going to call you, but I forgot.)

How It Works

1. How to form it. Take the past form of the old verb ща (want), then да, then the present tense of the main verb. Both parts agree with the subject:

  • (аз) щях да чета — (ние) щяхме да четем
  • (ти) щеше да четеш — (вие) щяхте да четете
  • (той/тя) щеше да чете — (те) щяха да четат

Note that щеше serves both ти and той/тя/то; the main verb shows which one you mean.

2. The negative. Use the unchanging нямаше да plus the present: Нямаше да дойда. (I wasn't going to come. / I wouldn't have come.) A form with не щях да also exists, but it is rare and can be read as "I didn't want to", so use нямаше да. See the negative future in the past.

3. What it expresses.

  • A future seen from the past: Върнах се вкъщи, защото щях да гледам мача. (I went home because I was going to watch the match.)
  • A plan that did not happen: Утре щяхме да ходим на кино, но Мария се разболя. (We were going to go to the cinema tomorrow, but Maria got sick.)
  • A near miss: Щях да падна! (I almost fell!)
  • The result of an unreal condition: Ако имах време, щях да дойда. (If I had time, I would come.) See unreal present conditions.
  • A polite request: Щях да те помоля за една услуга. (I wanted to ask you a favor.)

4. With съм. Say щях да бъда or щях да съм (I was going to be); both are correct.

Tip: compare it with the future with ще: Ще дойда (I will come) versus Щях да дойда (I was going to come).

Examples (6)

  1. Щях да ти се обадя, но забравих.

    I was going to call you, but I forgot.

    A plan that did not happen.

  2. Утре щяхме да ходим на кино, но Мария се разболя.

    We were going to go to the cinema tomorrow, but Maria got sick.

    The plan was made in the past and has now been cancelled.

  3. Ако имах време, щях да дойда с вас.

    If I had time, I would come with you.

    The result of an unreal condition.

  4. Внимавай! Щеше да паднеш!

    Careful! You almost fell!

    Щеше with паднеш refers to ти.

  5. Когато се запознахме, не знаех, че той щеше да стане най-добрият ми приятел.

    When we met, I didn't know that he would become my best friend.

    In a story, it looks ahead to what happened later.

  6. Щях да те помоля за една услуга.

    I wanted to ask you a favor.

    A softer, more polite way to make a request.

Common Mistakes

  • Using щях for every person.

    Той щях да дойде.
    Той щеше да дойде.

    Щях is only for аз. For той, тя, то and ти, use щеше; for ние, щяхме; for вие, щяхте; for те, щяха.

  • Conjugating нямаше in the negative.

    Нямах да дойда без теб.
    Нямаше да дойда без теб.

    In the negative, нямаше never changes. Only the verb after да shows the person.

  • Using ще for the result of an unreal condition.

    Ако имах пари, ще купя кола.
    Ако имах пари, щях да купя кола.

    When the condition is unreal (ако + past), the result uses щях да, not ще.

How It Connects

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

щях да + VerbLevel 3The Future in the Past

Learn This First

The future in the past combines ще future and imperfect.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

щаняма