Polite Conditional

Level 4

Poiriás venir? is gentler than Pòdes venir? Use the conditional to ask a favor or state a wish.

How It Works

DirectPolite
Pòdes venir?Poiriás venir?
Podètz repetir?Poiriatz repetir?
Vòli un cafè.Volriái un cafè.

Use the tu forms with friends and the vos forms with people you do not know well. The conditional works for a request (Poiriatz repetir?) and for a wish (Volriái un cafè).

The Vèrbòc gives volriái for voler. Print also has voldriái, with a d, and uses it more often. Both are correct, and this course uses volriái. Poder has a second spelling too: podriás, podriatz.

A request in the present, such as Pòdes venir?, is also correct. The conditional adds a softer tone.

Examples (4)

  1. Poiriás venir?

    Could you come?

    Poiriás is the tu form of poder in the conditional.

  2. Poiriatz repetir, se vos plai?

    Could you repeat, please?

    Poiriatz is the vos form, and se vos plai makes it more polite.

  3. Volriái un cafè, se vos plai.

    I would like a coffee, please.

    Volriái states a wish politely.

  4. Poiriás barrar la fenèstra?

    Could you close the window?

    The infinitive barrar follows poiriás directly.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding the conditional ending to the infinitive of poder.

    Poderiatz repetir?
    Poiriatz repetir?

    Poder has the stem poir- in the future and in the conditional.

How It Connects

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

Polite ConditionalLevel 4

Learn This First

The polite conditional softens a request with poder or voler in the conditional, so the conditional comes first.

Words in This Pattern

podervolerse vos plai