Conditions With de + Infinitive

Level 5

De + infinitive can replace a clause with se: De chover, quedamos na casa (if it rains, we will stay at home). With its own subject, the infinitive takes endings: De chegares ti primeiro, abre as fiestras.

How It Works

A short way to say if

Instead of a clause with se, Galician can use de + infinitive. The meaning is the same:

Se chove, quedamos na casa.
De chover, quedamos na casa.

The main clause

The main clause shows how likely the condition is:

present or future for a real possibility: De termos tempo, iremos ao museo.
imperative for an instruction: De ser así, avísanos.
conditional for an unlikely or unreal case, like se + imperfect subjunctive: De saber isto, non viría (had I known this, I would not have come).

Personal endings

Use the personal infinitive when its subject is different from the subject of the main clause. It is also usual when both subjects are the same, because the de clause normally comes first: De chegares ti primeiro, abre as fiestras; De termos tempo, iremos.

Pronouns

An unstressed pronoun can go between de and the infinitive, as explained in pronoun before an infinitive after a preposition: De o saber antes, diríacho.

No compound forms

Galician has no infinitive with haber + participle. Say De saber isto, not De haber sabido isto.

Examples (6)

De chover, quedamos na casa.
If it rains, we will stay at home.
De saber isto, non viría.
Had I known this, I would not have come.
The conditional viría makes the condition unreal.
De chegares ti primeiro, abre as fiestras.
If you get there first, open the windows.
Chegares is the personal infinitive for ti.
De termos tempo, iremos ao museo.
If we have time, we will go to the museum.
Termos is the personal infinitive for nós.
De o saber antes, diríacho.
If I had known it earlier, I would have told you.
The pronoun o goes between de and saber.
De ser así, avísanos.
If that is the case, let us know.

Common Mistakes

Using haber + participle after de.
De haber sabido isto, non viría.
De saber isto, non viría.
Galician has no compound infinitive with haber. The simple infinitive, with the conditional in the main clause, gives the past meaning.
Using a conjugated verb after de.
De chegas ti primeiro, abre as fiestras.
De chegares ti primeiro, abre as fiestras.
De is followed by an infinitive. With the subject ti, use the personal infinitive chegares.

How It Connects

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Conditions With de + InfinitiveLevel 5

Learn This First

De plus an infinitive can introduce a condition.

Words in This Pattern

Practice Conditions With de + Infinitive in Bubblegum

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