The Conditional Mood
To say would, take the past-tense l-form and add by: Išiel by som (I would go), Kúpila by si to? (Would you buy it?), To by bolo dobré (That would be good).
How It Works
Forms. Start with the l-form, which agrees with the subject in gender and number, then add by:
- ja: robil / robila by som · my: robili by sme
- ty: robil / robila by si · vy: robili by ste
- on / ona / ono: robil / robila / robilo by · oni / ony: robili by
Word order. By and som, si, sme, ste are unstressed words in second position, and by comes before the person word: Išiel by som. Ja by som išiel. Kam by si išiel? Other short words follow them: Ja by som sa bál. (I would be afraid.) Kúpil by si si to? (Would you buy that for yourself?)
Negation. Ne- joins the l-form: Nešiel by som tam sám. (I wouldn't go there alone.)
Uses.
- imagined situations: To by bolo dobré.
- polite requests and offers: Čo by ste si dali? See chcel by som.
- wishes and advice: rád by som, mal by som.
- unreal conditions with keby, which already contains by: keby som mal čas.
This present conditional covers the present and the future. For what would have happened, see the past conditional.
Examples (6)
- Išiel by som, ale nemám čas.
I would go, but I don't have time.
Word by Word: I-went would I-am, but not-I-have time.
- Kúpila by si to?
Would you buy it?
Word by Word: Bought(f) would you-are it?
Speaking to a woman, so the l-form is kúpila.
- To by bolo dobré.
That would be good.
Word by Word: That would was good.
Third person: no som or si, just the l-form and by.
- Čo by ste si dali?
What would you like to have?
Word by Word: What would you-are yourselves gave?
A common polite question in a café or restaurant.
- Radšej by som zostala doma.
I'd rather stay at home.
Word by Word: Rather would I-am stayed(f) at-home.
- Nešiel by som tam sám.
I wouldn't go there alone.
Word by Word: Not-went would I-am there alone.
Ne- joins the l-form.
Common Mistakes
Putting som before by.
Išiel som by.Išiel by som.By always comes first: by som, by si, by sme, by ste.
Using a present-tense form with by.
Ja by som idem.Ja by som išiel.The conditional is built on the l-form, as in the past tense, not on the present form idem.
Using the masculine l-form for a female speaker.
Mama povedala: „Išiel by som s vami.“Mama povedala: „Išla by som s vami.“The l-form agrees with the speaker. A woman says išla by som.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before The Conditional Mood, learn Past Forms by Gender and Number. The conditional uses the l-form plus by.
Related Patterns
- The Past Tense
Uses the same l-form and the same som, si, sme and ste.
Level 2 - Unstressed Words in Second Position
Explains where by and som go in the sentence.
Level 3 - chcel by somPolite Requests: Chcel by Som
Uses the conditional for polite requests.
Level 3 - kebyIf It Were So: Keby
Keby joins the conditional to an imagined condition.
Level 3 - The Past Conditional
Says what would have happened in the past.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice The Conditional Mood in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Slovak lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
