ef + hefði + Supine

Past Unreal Conditions

Level 4

Ef ég hefði vitað það hefði ég komið. (If I had known, I would have come.) Both parts use hefði + supine.

How It Works

The pattern.

  • Condition: ef + subject + hefði + supine: ef ég hefði vitað það
  • Result: hefði + subject + supine: hefði ég komið

The forms of hefði follow the person: ég hefði, þú hefðir, hún hefði, við hefðum, þið hefðuð, þau hefðu.

Word order. The whole ef-clause counts as first place in the sentence. By verb-second word order the result begins with hefði, and the subject follows: Ef þú hefðir hringt hefði ég sótt þig. (If you had called, I would have picked you up.) If the result comes first, the order is normal: Ég hefði komið ef ég hefði vitað það. You can also start the result with þá: Ef ég hefði vitað það, þá hefði ég komið.

Compare the present. For something unreal now, use the past subjunctive: Ef ég hefði tíma myndi ég læra meira. (If I had time, I would study more.) For the past, use hefði + supine: Ef ég hefði haft tíma hefði ég lært meira. (If I had had time, I would have studied more.)

Mixed times. Each part keeps its own time. A past condition can have a result now: Ef ég hefði lært meira væri ég læknir núna. (If I had studied more, I would be a doctor now.)

Without ef. In careful style the verb can open the condition instead: Hefði ég vitað það hefði ég komið. See conditions without ef.

Examples (5)

  1. Ef ég hefði vitað það hefði ég komið.

    If I had known that, I would have come.

    Word by Word: If I had known it had I come.

  2. Ef þú hefðir hringt hefði ég sótt þig.

    If you had called, I would have picked you up.

    Word by Word: If you had called had I fetched you.

    The ef-clause comes first, so the result starts with hefði.

  3. Ég hefði keypt miða ef ég hefði vitað af tónleikunum.

    I would have bought a ticket if I had known about the concert.

    Word by Word: I had bought ticket if I had known of the-concert.

  4. Ef við hefðum lagt af stað fyrr hefðum við ekki misst af fluginu.

    If we had set off earlier, we wouldn't have missed the flight.

    Word by Word: If we had laid off place earlier had we not missed of the-flight.

  5. Ef ég hefði lært meira væri ég læknir núna.

    If I had studied more, I would be a doctor now.

    Word by Word: If I had learned more were I doctor now.

    A past condition with a result now: væri, not hefði verið.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the plain past hafði in the condition.

    Ef ég hafði vitað það hefði ég komið.
    Ef ég hefði vitað það hefði ég komið.

    hafði is the ordinary past and states a fact. A condition that did not happen needs the subjunctive hefði.

  • Keeping the subject first in the result after an ef-clause.

    Ef þú hefðir hringt ég hefði sótt þig.
    Ef þú hefðir hringt hefði ég sótt þig.

    The ef-clause takes first place, so the verb hefði comes next and the subject ég follows.

How It Connects

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

ef + hefði + SupineLevel 4Past Unreal Conditions

Learn This First

Past unreal conditions build on unreal conditions and the past perfect.

Words in This Pattern

efhefði