бих + -л Participle

The Conditional Mood

Level 3Sounds Like uslovno naklonenie

For would, use бих and the л-participle: Бих искал кафе (I would like a coffee). A woman says Бих искала.

How It Works

1. The forms.

  • аз бих искал/искала
  • ти би искал/искала
  • той/тя/то би искал/искала/искало
  • ние бихме искали
  • вие бихте искали
  • те биха искали

The second part is the л-participle.

2. Polite requests. Бих искал една стая за две нощи (I would like a room for two nights). Би ли ми помогнал? (Would you help me?) is friendly, and a woman is asked Би ли ми помогнала? With polite Вие, the participle is plural, even for one person: Бихте ли ми казали колко е часът? (Could you tell me the time?). See бихте ли.

3. Imagined situations. На твое място бих отишъл (In your place, I would go). With an unreal condition: Ако имах време, бих дошъл (If I had time, I would come; see unreal present conditions). In everyday speech щях да is also very common here: Ако имах време, щях да дойда (see the future in the past).

4. Softening. Не бих казал (I wouldn't say so), Бих могъл да дойда утре (I could come tomorrow).

5. Word order. Short pronouns go between бих and the participle: Бих ти помогнал (I would help you), Бих го купил (I would buy it). In questions, ли follows бих: Би ли…?

Examples (6)

  1. Бих искал едно кафе, моля.

    I would like a coffee, please.

  2. Бих искала да резервирам маса за двама.

    I would like to book a table for two.

    Искала: the speaker is a woman.

  3. Би ли ми помогнал с куфара?

    Would you help me with the suitcase?

  4. Бихте ли ми казали къде е гарата?

    Could you tell me where the station is?

    Polite Вие takes the plural participle казали.

  5. На твое място не бих чакал.

    If I were you, I wouldn't wait.

    Word by Word: In your place not I-would waited.

  6. Ако имахме повече пари, бихме купили къща.

    If we had more money, we would buy a house.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a present-tense verb after бих.

    Бих искам кафе.
    Бих искал кафе.

    Бих must be followed by the л-participle: искал, not the present form искам.

  • Using би for аз.

    Аз би искал чай.
    Аз бих искал чай.

    The first person singular form is бих. Би is for ти and for той, тя and то.

  • Using a singular participle with polite Вие.

    Госпожо, бихте ли ми помогнала?
    Госпожо, бихте ли ми помогнали?

    With polite Вие the л-participle is plural, even when you speak to one woman or one man.

How It Connects

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бих + -л ParticipleLevel 3The Conditional Mood

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The conditional needs the л-participle.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

бибъда