A2 · Commands, requests and conditions · about 7 minutes
The conditional: chciałbym, mogłabyś
the conditional (tryb przypuszczający)
Past-tense form plus by — for wishes, polite requests and everything that is only imagined.
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“New to me”: the explanation first, then practice. “Test myself”: 3 short questions – get at least two right and you go straight to the harder exercises.
Words you will need4
They appear in this topic’s examples and exercises and are new at this point on the learning path.
- miejsceplace; seat
- zarezerwowaćto book, to reserve
- stoliktable (in a café or restaurant)
- pożyczyćto lend; to borrow
Understand
RememberPast-tense form plus by with its ending — and there is your “would”.
- Signal words
- chciałbym
- chciałabym
- mógłbyś
- czy mógłby pan
- na twoim miejscu
- najchętniej
The form
How the forms are built
Each row gives the meaning first, then the form in Polish. The colours show what changes from one form to the next.
stem (regular) tense marker person ending
| I would like (a man) | (ja) chciałbym |
| you would like (to a man) | (ty) chciałbyś |
| he would like | (on) chciałby |
| we would like (with a man) | (my) chcielibyśmy |
| you would like (several, with a man) | (wy) chcielibyście |
| they would like (with a man) | (oni) chcieliby |
| I would like (a woman) | (ja) chciałabym |
| you would like (to a woman) | (ty) chciałabyś |
| she would like | (ona) chciałaby |
| we would like (women only) | (my) chciałybyśmy |
| you would like (several, women only) | (wy) chciałybyście |
| they would like (no men) | (one) chciałyby |
| it would be | byłoby |
| by before the verb | Ja bym to kupił. |
| the same pattern | chcieć, móc, być, kupić, zrobić, pojechać, pomóc |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
To order, use chciałbym or chciałabym.
Chciałabym herbatę z cytryną.I’d like a tea with lemon. (a woman speaking)
A request in the conditional is more polite than an imperative.
Mógłbyś zamknąć okno?Could you close the window? (to a man)
In formal address, use the third person.
Czy mogłaby mi pani pomóc?Could you help me? (formal, to a woman)
What is only imagined goes into the conditional.
Na twoim miejscu poszedłbym do lekarza.If I were you, I would go to the doctor. (a man speaking)
by with its ending may come before the verb.
Ja bym tak nie zrobiła.I wouldn’t do it like that. (a woman speaking)
Example sentences
Chciałbym zarezerwować stolik na dwie osoby.I’d like to book a table for two. (a man speaking)
Mogłabyś mi pożyczyć długopis?Could you lend me a pen? (to a woman)
W lecie chcielibyśmy pojechać nad morze.In the summer we would like to go to the seaside.
6 more example sentences
To byłoby wspaniale!That would be wonderful!
Co byś zrobił na moim miejscu?What would you do in my place? (to a man)
Najchętniej zostałabym dziś w domu.I’d really rather stay at home today. (a woman speaking)
Czy mógłby pan mówić trochę głośniej?Could you speak a little louder? (formal, to a man)
Pomoglibyście mi jutro przy przeprowadzce?Would you help me with the move tomorrow? (to several people)
Dzieci chciałyby psa.The children would like a dog.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English has a separate word, “would”, and English speakers look for one in Polish — sometimes landing on the future będę. There is no separate word: the past-tense form plus by already is the “would”. będę has no business here — it is the future.
Quick check
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Practise
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Next on the path: 66 · The reflexive pronoun sięBack to the learning path
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
The conditional (tryb przypuszczający) is the Polish “would”, “could” and “should like”. You build it from the past-tense form for “he”, “she” or the group and the little word by with the personal ending: chciał + bym → chciałbym “I would like”. A woman says chciałabym.
You know the endings from the past tense; now they come after by: -bym, -byś, -by, -byśmy, -byście, -by. In the plural the same split applies as in the past: chcielibyśmy if a man is among us, otherwise chciałybyśmy.
You need the conditional first of all for ordering and asking: Chciałbym kawę is the normal, polite way to order in a café, just like English “I’d like a coffee”. Mógłbyś mi pomóc? “Could you help me?” is friendlier than the imperative. And with it you talk about what is only imagined: Na twoim miejscu kupiłabym ten dom “If I were you, I would buy that house”.
The by with its ending may also come loose from the verb and stand further forward, especially after a pronoun: Ja bym to kupił means the same as Kupiłbym to — “I’d buy it”.
Worth knowing1
Worth knowing
One pattern for every verb
English needs “would have”, “would be”, “could” and “would go”. Polish does it the same way every time: miałbym, byłbym, mógłbym, poszedłbym. One pattern for all verbs.
Miałabym czas w piątek.I would have time on Friday. (a woman speaking)
The verbs on this page, in every form: móc · chcieć · zrobić · być · pomóc · pójść · pojechać · zamknąć