Conditional (-ksi-)

Level 3

Ma ostaksin selle means "I would buy it." The marker -ksi- turns a verb into "would".

How It Works

The conditional expresses something imagined or unreal. It usually matches English would.

Form: present stem + -ksi- + personal ending. In the third person singular, the marker is just -ks.

  • ma läheksin – me läheksime
  • sa läheksid – te läheksite
  • ta läheks – nad läheksid

The stem is the one you hear in the present tense, so irregular verbs keep their present stem:

  • minema → lähen → läheksin
  • tegema → teen → teeksin
  • tahtma → tahan → tahaksin
  • olema → olen → oleksin
  • lugema → loen → loeksin

Uses:

  • imagined situations: Mis sa teeksid minu asemel?
  • wishes: Oleks tore sind näha!
  • polite requests: Kas te aitaksite mind?
  • unreal conditions with kui: Kui mul oleks aega, läheksin randa.

The negative is ei + stem + -ks with no personal ending: ma ei läheks. In everyday speech, the endings are often dropped in the positive too: ma läheks.

Examples (6)

  1. Ma ostaksin selle.

    I would buy it.

    Word by Word: I buy-would it

  2. Mis sa teeksid minu asemel?

    What would you do in my place?

    Tegema → teen → teeksid.

  3. Oleks tore sind näha!

    It would be nice to see you!

    Third person: oleks, with no ending.

  4. Me sõidaksime meelsasti mere äärde.

    We would gladly drive to the seaside.

  5. Kas te aitaksite mind?

    Would you help me?

    A polite request.

  6. Nad läheksid, aga neil pole aega.

    They would go, but they don't have time.

Common Mistakes

  • Building the conditional from the ma-infinitive.

    Ma mineksin kinno.
    Ma läheksin kinno.

    The conditional uses the present stem. Minema has the present lähen, so the conditional is läheksin.

  • Giving the third person singular an ending.

    Ta läheksid kinno.
    Ta läheks kinno.

    In the third person singular, the conditional ends in -ks with nothing after it.

  • Using the ma-infinitive stem of tahtma.

    Ma tahtksin kohvi.
    Ma tahaksin kohvi.

    The present of tahtma is tahan, so the stem is taha-.

How It Connects

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

Conditional (-ksi-)Level 3

Learn This First

The conditional is built on the present stem.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.