Would have to, would have, will

Question

Can someone help me translate the bolded phrases? Thanks!

Nicole: "Will you take advanced chemistry next semester?"

Juan: "I don't know. First, I would have to take the prerequisite class." (In English, a lot of people use this when they are unsure if they are going to do it or not)

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how is "would have to" (in a hypothetical sense concerning something in the future) translated, as opposed to "would have" (in the hypothetical past). I'm familiar with the expressions "me gustaria" and "me encantaria" are these similar to the English "I would have to"?

"I would have studied harder for the test if I had known it would be so difficult."

Welcome to SD - ian-hill, Aug 11, 2017

Answer 1

Can someone help me translate the bolded phrases? Thanks!.

Nicole: "Will you take advanced chemistry next semester?"

¿Vas a tomar química avanzada el próximo semestre?"

I used the "informal future" tense in Spanish (ir +a + infinitive) which is more common than the formal future in a case like this, at least in Latin American and U.S. Spanish. In English it would also be more common to say "Are you going to" instead of "will" because we are asking someone about their plans.

Juan: "First, I would have to take the prerequisite class."

"Primero, tendría que tomar la clase pre-requisito."

how is "would have to" concerning something in the future translated, as opposed to this: "I would have studied harder for the test if I had known it would be so difficult."

to have to (do something) is tener que hacer algo

tener que is a separate verb from tener with its own conjugation chart

"Would have to" is the conditional form of tener que - tendría que for 1st P singular.

"I would have studied harder" does not use tener or tener que but haber to form a compound verb - the conditional perfect.

Habría estudiado más duro para la prueba si hubiera sabido que iba a ser tan difícil.

I would have studied harder for the test if I had known that is was going to be so difficult.

Hubiera sabido is in the past perfect subjunctive.

Why the subjunctive in this case? Well, you didn't know and now that the test in the past it is a hypothetical (pretend / made up) conjecture. With things that didn't happen in the past Spanish uses the subjunctive with this type of conditional sentence structure. "If I had known" is also an example of the English subjunctive.

Nice answer. :) - bosquederoble, Aug 11, 2017

Thanks Bosque: Do you like iba a ser in the end or do you think sería (would be) might also be correct? (That's what he had in his original English, and it didn't feel right to me) - DilKen, Aug 11, 2017

I would prefer iba a ser, but I believe they are interchangeable in this context, just as would and was going to be are in English (which is not meant to imply would always can match Spanish conditional, just this type of future from the past). - bosquederoble, Aug 11, 2017

Thanks Bosque, if I had to guess I would have said the same thing, but I wasn't sure. :) - DilKen, Aug 11, 2017

Ken, when I created some sentences that I asked the natives check using haber like: I would have visited my grandmother sooner if I had known that she was going to die = Me habria visitado a mi abuela más temprano si hubiera sabido que iba a morir - FELIZ77, Aug 11, 2017

I'm sure that a fluent speaker likeJulian said that I needed to use the word Me before habría The problem is that I can't remember why!I initially thought that you should have used it in your last sentence but I could be wrong What do you & Bosque think? - FELIZ77, Aug 11, 2017

Corrección: habría (con acento) - FELIZ77, Aug 11, 2017

I see an accent on my monitor Feliz. - DilKen, Aug 11, 2017

Feliz, regarding "me" I don't think so in this case or in general. Only if you are using a pronominal verb. I would have showered if I had known we were going out. :) - DilKen, Aug 11, 2017

Another possibility for me would be if you are the one affected by the action of the verb. (Something else is the subject) It would have humiliated me if I had known that my zipper was open the whole time. :) - DilKen, Aug 11, 2017

With your sentence about visiting your grandfather before he died....the "me" as an indirect object can sometimes appear just because you are deeply affected by what occurred. With your GP dying this could be the reason. - DilKen, Aug 11, 2017

clear and concise. Valuable information - patch, Aug 11, 2017

Answer 2

"I would have studied harder" does not use tener or tener que but haber to form a compound verb - the conditional perfect.

Habría estudiado más (duro) para la prueba si hubiera sabido que iba a ser tan difícil.

Hi ken, very good job on the translations, same to you, bosque. We don't really say "estudiar duro", estudiamos mucho o poco o más.

So here "más" would do the trick.

I also prefer "iba a ser"...it might be regional .

Thanks Heidita. I'll kill the duro. :) - DilKen, Aug 11, 2017

Answer 3

I'm familiar with the expressions "me gustaria" and "me encantaria" are these similar to the English "I would have to"?

I would have to = tendría que

The similarity is that they are both in the conditional tense.

There are several differences, the most significant being that with gustar and encantar, the "me" is not the subject of the sentence. It is an indirect object. With Tendría que "I" is the subject of the sentence.

Me gustaría bailar. Literally, dancing would be pleasing to me.
Although we would normally say:
I would like to dance.

Tendría que bailar si voy a la fiesta.
I would have to dance if I go to the party.

Tendría que bailar si fuera a la fiesta.
I would have to dance if were to go / went to the party.

The above is a self correction. I thought I would show the correction, to make sure I'm right to make it and, if I am right, to show others.

With the conditional, the implication is that it is not very likely that I will go to the party, probably because I don't want to dance. The same sentence can be said using the future tense, and then then there is a strong implication that I will go to the party, even though I will have to dance.

I will have to dance if I go to the party.
Tendré que bailar si voy a la fiesta.

I would be interested to know if there are native speakers who would use voy (or vaya) here instead of fuera. (in the sentence with tendría que)

All the grammar books and websites that I have consulted in the past indicate that the past subjunctive should with the conditional in this kind of conditional statements. (As far a I remember)