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●Russian from zero · Part 74 of 101
Russian grammar·Verbs

The Russian conditional: “would”, “if” and “if only”

English has “would”, “would have”, “should” and several “if” patterns. Russian has one tool for all of them: the little word бы (by) plus the past tense. This guide covers every use, from polite requests to regrets.

A2–B2 20 min read бы + past · 9 uses Audio for every example
REAL · IT MAY HAPPEN Е́сли бу́дет вре́мя, я приду́. If I have time, I’ll come. UNREAL · IMAGINED Е́сли бы бы́ло вре́мя, я бы пришёл. If I had time, I would come / would have come. бы + past tense: one form for “would” and “would have”.
Real conditions use normal tenses. Imagined ones use бы + past, in both halves.
The short answer

For anything imagined, unreal or polite, use бы + the past tense: Я бы пошёл, “I would go” or “I would have gone”. For real possibilities, use е́сли + future, with no бы.

1. Forming the conditional: бы + past

Take the past tense, which already shows gender and number (-л, -ла, -ло, -ли), and add бы. бы itself never changes. A man says я бы сказа́л, a woman я бы сказа́ла.

FormMeaningIn a sentence
я бы чита́лya by chi-TALI would read (man)
я бы чита́лаya by chi-TA-laI would read (woman)
ты бы по́нялty by PO-nyalyou would understand
он бы пришёлon by pri-SHOLhe would come
она́ бы помогла́a-NA by pa-mag-LAshe would help
мы бы пое́халиmy by pa-YE-kha-liwe would go
вы бы могли́vy by mag-LEEyou could
они́ бы купи́лиa-NEE by ku-PEE-lithey would buy

2. Where to put бы

бы is flexible, but it usually goes after the first word of the clause, or straight after the verb. It always comes right after е́сли. Moving it shifts the emphasis slightly, never the meaning.

3. Real and unreal “if”

If something may happen, use е́сли + future, with no бы (English: “if it rains”). If it’s imagined or impossible, put бы in both halves (English: “if it rained”, “if it had rained”).

REAL · FUTURE TENSE · IT MAY HAPPENЕ́сли пойдёт дождь, мы оста́немся до́ма.YES-li pa-ee-DYOT dozhd’, my a-STA-nim-sya DO-ma · If it rains, we’ll stay at home. UNREAL · БЫ + PAST TENSE IN BOTH HALVESЕ́сли бы пошёл дождь, мы бы оста́лись до́ма.YES-li by pa-SHOL dozhd’, my by a-STA-lis’ DO-ma · If it rained (had rained), we would stay (have stayed) at home.
Russian has one unreal form for present and past: context tells you which. English needs “would” or “would have”; Russian just adds бы.
Real · it may happenno бы
Unreal · imaginedбы … бы

4. One form for “would” and “would have”

Russian doesn’t separate “would do” from “would have done”. A time word or the situation tells you which is meant, so Я бы пришёл can be either.

5. Polite wishes, requests and advice

бы softens what you say, exactly like English “I’d like”, “could you” or “you should”.

6. что́бы: “so that” and “want someone to”

что́бы is что + бы. If both halves have the same person, add an infinitive. If the person changes, use the past tense: “I want you to come” = Я хочу́, что́бы ты пришёл.

7. “If only…”, wishes and regret

On its own, Е́сли бы…! or Вот бы…! expresses a wish or regret. Add не for “if only … hadn’t”.

8. “Whatever”, “however”, “whoever”

A question word + бы ни + past tense means “whatever / wherever / however”. The ни here doesn’t make it negative.

9. Real or unreal?

Choose the right form for each English sentence.

“I would go.”
“If I have time, I’ll come.”
“If I had money, I would buy a car.”
“I’d like a tea, please.”
“I want you to call.”
“I’m learning Russian to work in Moscow.”
“If only I’d known!”
“Could you help me?”