keby

If It Were So: Keby

Level 3

Keby introduces something imagined: Keby som mal čas, išiel by som (If I had time, I would go).

How It Works

Forms. Keby already contains by, so the keby clause needs no extra by:

  • keby som mal / mala · keby sme mali
  • keby si mal / mala · keby ste mali
  • keby mal / mala / malo · keby mali

The other clause uses the conditional: Keby som mal čas, išiel by som. Either clause can come first: Pomohol by som ti, keby si chcel. Always put a comma before or after the keby clause.

Keby or ak? Ak introduces a real condition that may happen: Ak bude pršať, zostaneme doma. Keby introduces an imagined one: Keby pršalo, zostali by sme doma. See real versus unreal conditions.

Wishes. A keby clause on its own expresses a wish: Keby už bolo leto! (If only it were summer!)

Time. These forms usually refer to the present or the future. In everyday speech they can also refer to the past. For a clearly past situation, see the past conditional. You will also hear kebyže in casual speech, but standard Slovak uses keby.

Examples (6)

  1. Keby som mal čas, išiel by som.

    If I had time, I would go.

    Word by Word: If-would I-am had time, went would I-am.

  2. Keby si chcel, pomohol by som ti.

    If you wanted, I would help you.

    Word by Word: If-would you-are wanted, helped would I-am you.

  3. Keby pršalo, zostali by sme doma.

    If it were raining, we would stay at home.

    Word by Word: If-would rained, stayed would we-are at-home.

    Third person: just keby and the l-form.

  4. Čo by si robila, keby si vyhrala milión eur?

    What would you do if you won a million euros?

    Word by Word: What would you-are did(f), if-would you-are won(f) million euros?

    The keby clause can come second.

  5. Pomohla by som ti, keby som vedela ako.

    I would help you if I knew how.

    Word by Word: Helped(f) would I-am you, if-would I-am knew(f) how.

  6. Keby už bolo leto!

    If only it were summer already!

    Word by Word: If-would already was summer!

    On its own, a keby clause is a wish.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding a second by after keby.

    Keby by som mal čas, išiel by som.
    Keby som mal čas, išiel by som.

    Keby already contains by, so add only som, si, sme or ste.

  • Using a present-tense verb after keby.

    Keby mám čas, išiel by som.
    Keby som mal čas, išiel by som.

    Keby always takes the l-form, like the conditional: keby som mal, not keby mám.

  • Leaving by out of the main clause.

    Keby som mal čas, išiel som.
    Keby som mal čas, išiel by som.

    Without by, išiel som means I went. The result of an imagined condition needs the conditional.

How It Connects

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

kebyLevel 3If It Were So: Keby

Learn This First

Before If It Were So: keby, learn The Conditional Mood and If: ak. keby contains the conditional particle by. keby is the unreal counterpart of ak.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

keby