skulle ha + Supine

Would Have Done

Level 3

This pattern, known as the conditional perfect, is used to talk about unreal or hypothetical situations in the past. It's the Swedish equivalent of "would have + past participle".

How It Works

The conditional perfect tense is essential for discussing hypothetical past events, expressing regrets, or criticizing past actions. The full form taught here is:

skulle + ha + supinum verb

This construction describes what would have occurred if conditions had been different. It is very often paired with an 'if' clause (om-clause) that sets up the hypothetical scenario. This om-clause typically uses the pluperfect tense (hade + supinum).

  • Example with an om-clause:
    Om jag hade vetat det, skulle jag ha kommit tidigare.
    (If I had known that, I would have come earlier.)

The om-clause states the condition (knowing), and the main clause with skulle ha kommit states the hypothetical result.

However, the condition doesn't always need to be explicitly stated with om. It can be implied by the context or explained with a conjunction like men (but).

  • Example with an implied condition:
    Jag skulle ha ringt dig, men min telefon dog.
    (I would have called you, but my phone died.)

In a suitable context, this pattern can also express regret or say what someone "should have" done in a moral or advisory sense.

  • Example expressing regret:
    Jag skulle ha studerat mer för provet.
    (I should have studied more for the test.)

Other Readings and Forms
Hon trodde att jag skulle ha läst boken på måndag can report an expected completion by Monday, viewed from an earlier time. The form alone does not say that reading failed to happen. Ha may also be omitted after skulle, Du skulle kommit tidigare; retaining it gives the explicit pattern practised here.

Examples (5)

  1. Jag skulle ha köpt biljetterna igår, men jag glömde.

    I would have bought the tickets yesterday, but I forgot.

    Word by Word: I would have bought the-tickets yesterday, but I forgot.

    With men jag glömde, this can express an unfulfilled intention or expectation: I was supposed to have bought the tickets. A hypothetical would have reading is also possible in a suitable context.

  2. Om det inte hade regnat, skulle vi ha haft en picknick.

    If it hadn't rained, we would have had a picnic.

    Word by Word: If it not had rained, would we have had a picnic.

  3. Hon skulle ha blivit en utmärkt advokat.

    She would have become an excellent lawyer.

    Word by Word: She would have become an excellent lawyer.

    Here, the condition is implied (e.g., if she had studied law).

  4. Du skulle ha sett filmen! Den var fantastisk.

    You should have seen the movie! It was fantastic.

    Word by Word: You would have seen the-movie! It was fantastic.

    This looks back at an experience the listener missed: You should have seen the movie! It need not imply a moral duty.

  5. Vi skulle inte ha kommit så sent om vi hade tagit tåget.

    We wouldn't have arrived so late if we had taken the train.

    Word by Word: We would not have come so late if we had taken the-train.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the infinitive instead of the supinum form.

    Jag skulle ha ringa dig.
    Jag skulle ha ringt dig.

    After ha, the verb must be in its supinum form (e.g., ringt, köpt, sett), not the infinitive (ringa, köpa, se). This is similar to how the perfect tense (har + supinum) works.

  • Using a finite past form after skulle ha.

    Jag skulle ha reste mer om jag hade haft pengar.
    Jag skulle ha rest mer om jag hade haft pengar.

    Rest is the supine needed here. Jag hade rest mer om jag hade haft pengar is also a valid hypothetical conditional: pluperfect can express the unreal result as well as the condition.

How It Connects

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

skulle ha + SupineLevel 3Would Have Done

Learn This First

To learn 'skulle ha + supinum' (the past conditional), you first need to understand how 'skulle' functions as 'would', how to form the 'supinum' (the specific verb form used for perfect tenses), and how the auxiliary 'ha' works with the supinum to indicate completed actions.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

skulle