myndi
Would (Myndi)
myndi + infinitive means would: Ég myndi fara ef ég gæti (I would go if I could).
How It Works
Forms. ég myndi, þú myndir, hún myndi, við myndum, þið mynduð, þau myndu, or with u: mundi, mundir, mundi, mundum, munduð, mundu. Both sets are used in modern Icelandic. With þú, the clitic form is common: myndirðu.
Would, if ... myndi goes in the result clause, while the ef-clause uses the past subjunctive of its own verb: Ef ég hefði tíma myndi ég læra meira (If I had time, I would study more). The main clause starts with myndi because of verb-second word order. In careful Icelandic, myndi is kept out of the ef-clause itself: ef ég vissi það is preferred to ef ég myndi vita það, which you may hear in casual speech. See ef + past subjunctive.
Polite questions. Hvað myndir þú gera? (What would you do?) Myndirðu vilja koma með? (Would you like to come along?)
Future in the past. In reported speech, myndi is the past of mun: Hann sagði að hann myndi koma (He said he would come). See reported speech.
One-word forms. Many common verbs have their own past subjunctive, and it is often shorter than myndi + infinitive: Það væri gaman (That would be fun). With vera, hafa, geta, vilja and eiga, you will usually hear væri, hefði, gæti, vildi, ætti.
Examples (6)
- Ég myndi fara ef ég gæti.
I would go if I could.
Word by Word: I would go if I could.
- Hvað myndir þú gera?
What would you do?
Word by Word: What would you do?
- Myndirðu vilja koma með?
Would you like to come along?
Word by Word: Would-you want to come with?
- Hann sagði að hann myndi koma.
He said he would come.
Word by Word: He said that he would come.
- Ef ég hefði tíma myndi ég læra meira.
If I had time, I would study more.
Word by Word: If I had time would I learn more.
After the ef-clause, the main clause starts with myndi.
- Ég mundi ekki gera þetta.
I wouldn't do this.
Word by Word: I would not do this.
mundi means the same as myndi. It is also the past of muna (remembered), but here the infinitive gera shows that it means would.
Common Mistakes
Adding að after myndi.
Ég myndi að fara ef ég gæti.Ég myndi fara ef ég gæti.myndi takes the infinitive directly, without að.
Keeping the subject first after a fronted ef-clause.
Ef ég hefði tíma ég myndi læra meira.Ef ég hefði tíma myndi ég læra meira.The ef-clause takes the first place, so myndi must come next, before the subject.
How It Connects
Learn This First
myndi builds on munu and the past subjunctive.
Related Patterns
- ef + Past SubjunctiveUnreal Conditions
The full pattern for unreal conditions.
Level 3 - gætirðu / mætti égPolite Requests (Gætirðu, Mætti Ég)
Other polite past subjunctive forms.
Level 3 - Reported Speech in the Subjunctive
myndi reports a future seen from the past.
Level 3 - The Verb Comes Second
Explains why myndi comes before the subject after an ef-clause.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice myndi in Bubblegum
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