oleks pidanud / oleks võinud
Should Have and Could Have
Sa oleksid pidanud helistama means you should have called. Oleks võinud hullemini minna means it could have gone worse.
How It Works
These are the past forms of peaks (should) and võiks (could):
- Sa peaksid helistama. (You should call.) → Sa oleksid pidanud helistama. (You should have called.)
- Me võiksime rongiga sõita. (We could go by train.) → Me oleksime võinud rongiga sõita. (We could have gone by train.)
Keep the right infinitive. Pidama takes the ma-infinitive: pidanud helistama. Võima takes the da-infinitive: võinud sõita.
The olema part changes with the person: oleksin, oleksid, oleks, oleksime. The short form oleks works for every person too: ma oleks pidanud. The negative is poleks pidanud or ei oleks pidanud: Ma poleks pidanud seda ütlema.
Oleks pidanud can blame or regret, and it can also mean something was expected but did not happen: Ta oleks pidanud juba kohal olema. Oleks võinud names a possibility that did not happen, and it can sound like a mild complaint: Sa oleksid võinud mulle öelda!
Examples (6)
- Sa oleksid pidanud helistama.
You should have called.
Word by Word: you would-have had-to to-call
- Oleks võinud hullemini minna.
It could have gone worse.
- Ma poleks pidanud seda ütlema.
I shouldn't have said that.
Poleks is the short negative of oleks.
- Me oleksime võinud rongiga sõita.
We could have gone by train.
Võima keeps the da-infinitive: sõita.
- Ta oleks pidanud juba kohal olema.
He should have been here by now.
Here it means something expected did not happen.
- Sa oleksid võinud mulle öelda!
You could have told me!
A mild complaint.
Common Mistakes
Using the da-infinitive after pidanud.
Sa oleksid pidanud helistada.Sa oleksid pidanud helistama.Pidama always takes the ma-infinitive, in the past conditional too.
Using the ma-infinitive after võinud.
Me oleksime võinud rongiga sõitma.Me oleksime võinud rongiga sõita.Võima always takes the da-infinitive.
Copying English should have with the main verb in the past.
Sa peaksid helistanud.Sa oleksid pidanud helistama.Estonian puts the past on pidama, not on the main verb: oleksid pidanud plus the ma-infinitive.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Should have and could have are the past conditional of modal verbs.
Related Patterns
- pidama + ma-InfinitiveMust (Pidama)
Pidama always takes the ma-infinitive.
Level 2 - ma- or da-InfinitiveWhich Infinitive?
The main verb decides which infinitive follows.
Level 2 - Negative Conditional
The negative is poleks pidanud or ei oleks pidanud.
Level 3 - -nuks / -nuvatLiterary One-Word Past Forms
Literary one-word forms such as pidanuks for oleks pidanud.
Level 6
Words in This Pattern
Practice oleks pidanud / oleks võinud in Bubblegum
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