Граматична тема
Past Conditional Mood with volna
The past conditional is used when talking about events that did not happen: “If I had known yesterday, I would have come,” or “Too bad you didn’t say anything.” Think of it as the mood of missed opportunities.
The form is very simple and analytical: regular past-tense verb with -t/-tt + the unchanging particle VOLNA.
| Person | Indefinite conjugation | Definite conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| én (I) | olvastam volna (I would have read) | olvastam volna (I would have read it) |
| te (you) | olvastál volna | olvastad volna |
| ő / Ön (he/she/formal you) | olvasott volna | olvasta volna |
| mi (we) | olvastunk volna | olvastuk volna |
| ti (you plural) | olvastatok volna | olvastátok volna |
| ők / Önök | olvastak volna | olvasták volna |
For the verb to be, use lettem volna (I would have been / become), lettél volna (you would have been), and so on. Voltam volna also exists, but it is less common.
Usage: Like the present conditional, it is used with Ha (if), Bárcsak (if only), and mintha (as if).
Reading Practice
- Ha tegnapelőtt sikeresen vizsgázott volna, már elutaztunk volna. [If he/she had passed the exam successfully the day before yesterday, we would have already left.]
- Ha lett volna elég pénzem, tavaly nyáron elutaztam volna. [If I had had enough money, I would have traveled last summer.]
- Bárcsak meggyógyult volna! [If only he/she had recovered!]
- Úgy viselkedett, mintha nem láttad volna a barátnőmet. [You behaved as if you had not seen my girlfriend/female friend.]
- Eltalálta a feleletet anélkül, hogy gondolkodott volna. [He/she guessed the answer without thinking.]
- Megvártalak volna, ha mondtad volna. [I would have waited for you if you had told me.]
- Bárcsak megfogadtuk volna a barátaink tanácsát! [If only we had taken our friends’ advice!]