se + Imperfect Subjunctive

Hypothetical Conditions

Level 4

To talk about something that is not true or is unlikely, use se + imperfect subjunctive and the conditional: Se tivese tempo, iría (if I had time, I would go).

How It Works

Three kinds of condition

  • Real or likely: se + present. Se chove, non saio (if it rains, I do not go out).
  • Unreal or unlikely: se + imperfect subjunctive + conditional. Se chovese, non sairía (if it rained, I would not go out).
  • Unreal in the past: the same forms. Se chovese onte, non sairía (if it had rained yesterday, I would not have gone out).

No compound tenses

Spanish says si hubiera sabido, habría venido. Galician has no compound tenses with haber, so it keeps the simple forms and lets words like onte, daquela or the context place the situation in the past: Se o soubese, viría (had I known, I would have come).

Order of the clauses

Either clause can go first: Iría contigo se tivese tempo. Use a comma when the se clause comes first.

Pronouns

Se is a subordinator, so object pronouns go before the verb in its clause: Se me chamases..., Se o soubese.... In the main clause, they follow the conditional in a plain statement: faríao, diríacho.

What you will hear

  • Speech often uses the -ra form in the se clause (Se tivera tempo). Careful writing uses tivese (see the -ra and -se forms).
  • In relaxed speech the result clause sometimes uses the imperfect: Se tivese cartos, mercaba un coche. The conditional mercaría is the standard choice.
  • A condition can also be expressed with de + infinitive: De sabelo, non viría.

Examples (6)

  1. Se tivese tempo, iría contigo.

    If I had time, I would go with you.

    Word by Word: If I-had time, I-would-go with-you.

  2. Se eu fose ti, non o faría.

    If I were you, I would not do it.

    Fose is the imperfect subjunctive of ser. After non, the pronoun o goes before faría.

  3. Se non chovese tanto, sairiamos a pasear.

    If it were not raining so much, we would go out for a walk.

    The condition is contrary to the present facts: it is raining a lot.

  4. Se o soubese, non viría.

    Had I known, I would not have come.

    The same simple forms cover an unreal past; out of context this could also mean "if I knew, I would not come".

  5. Que farías se che tocase a lotaría?

    What would you do if you won the lottery?

    An unlikely future situation. Che goes before tocase because it follows se.

  6. Se me chamases antes, iría buscarte.

    If you had called me earlier, I would have come to pick you up.

    Iría buscarte joins ir directly to an infinitive of purpose, the usual Galician pattern. The pronoun te attaches to buscar.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the conditional in the se clause of a condition.

    Se tería tempo, iría contigo.
    Se tivese tempo, iría contigo.

    The conditional belongs in the result clause. The se clause takes the imperfect subjunctive.

  • Building a compound tense with haber for a past condition.

    Se o houbese sabido, non viría.
    Se o soubese, non viría.

    Galician has no compound tenses with haber. The simple imperfect subjunctive covers the past too.

  • Mixing an unreal condition with a future result.

    Se tivese tempo, irei contigo.
    Se tivese tempo, iría contigo.

    An imperfect subjunctive condition pairs with the conditional. Use se + present with the future: Se teño tempo, irei.

How It Connects

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

se + Imperfect SubjunctiveLevel 4Hypothetical Conditions

Learn This First

Hypothetical conditions combine a past subjunctive condition with a conditional result.

Words in This Pattern