(:title Using the conditional perfect:) %color=#006699 font-weight=bold define=blueish% ==== (:div class="noprint" style="font-size:0.85em":)PICS:arrowlink.gif"internal link" [[FORUM:quiz.php?c=10 | Verb exercises]] PICS:link_icon.gif"link" [[AXS:ax.pl?http://www.verbix.com/languages/dutch.shtml | Online Verb Conjugator]] (:divend:) ==== (:div class="translated":) {$TransBy} ... (:divend:) ==== (:table class="gray" width="90%" align="center" cellspacing="0":) (:cellnr width="13%" class="conjug":)ik (:cell width="25%" class="concolor":)zou (:cell width="31%" class="concolor":)hebben/zijn (:cell width="31%" class="concolor":)+ pp (:cellnr class="conjug":)je (:cell class="concolor":)zou (:cell class="concolor":)hebben/zijn (:cell class="concolor":)+ pp (:cellnr class="conjug":)hij (:cell class="concolor":)zou (:cell class="concolor":)hebben/zijn (:cell class="concolor":)+ pp (:cellnr class="conjug":)we (:cell class="concolor":)zouden (:cell class="concolor":)hebben/zijn (:cell class="concolor":)+ pp (:cellnr class="conjug":)jullie (:cell class="concolor":)zouden (:cell class="concolor":)hebben/zijn (:cell class="concolor":)+ pp (:cellnr class="conjug":)ze (:cell class="concolor":)zouden (:cell class="concolor":)hebben/zijn (:cell class="concolor":)+ pp (:tableend:) ==== We use the conditional perfect refers to hypothetical situations in the past. Just like simple conditional tense, it mainly serves to express a conditional clause: '''''If''''' certain criteria '''''had been''''' met, '''''then''''' a certain hypothetical situation '''''would have been''''' the case. In the examples below, the verbs of the conditional perfect are written in blue. ==== (:table width='90%' align='center' cellspacing='0' class='gray':) (:cellnr width='50%' valign='top' class='gray':)Als je '''goed had opgelet''', %blueish% zou %% je %blueish% hebben gemerkt %% dat... (:cell width='50%' valign='top' class='i':)If you had paid attention, you would have noticed that... (:cellnr width='50%' valign='top' class='gray':)Het %blueish% zou %% nog veel erger %blueish% zijn geweest %% als de motor het ook '''had begeven'''. (:cell width='50%' valign='top' class='i':)It would have been a lot worse if the engine had also broken down. (:tableend:) ==== In English, we cannot use the conditional tense on both sides of the comma. If the 'then-clause' is in the conditional perfect tense, the 'if-clause' usually gets the pluperfect tense. In this respect, the Dutch are very easy-going: It does not matter which clause gets the conditional perfect. Moreover, you can completely do without the conditional perfect and still refer to a past hypothetical event (see the fourth example below). The verbs of the conditional perfect are displayed in blue. ==== (:table width='90%' align='center' cellspacing='0' class='gray':) (:cellnr class='gray' width='50%':)'''Four ways to say the same thing''' (:cell class='gray':)'''Literal translation ''' (:cellnr width='50%' class='gray':)Als ik iets later '''was vertrokken''', %blueish%zou%% ik in de file %blueish%hebben gestaan%%. (:cell width='50%' class='i':)If I had left a bit later, I would have been in a traffic jam. (:cellnr class='gray':)Als ik iets later %blueish%zou zijn vertrokken%%, %blueish%zou%% ik in de file %blueish%hebben gestaan%%. (:cell width='50%' class='i':)If I would have left a bit later, I would have been in a traffic jam. (:cellnr class='gray':)Als ik iets later %blueish%zou zijn vertrokken%%, '''had''' ik in de file '''gestaan'''. (:cell width='50%' class='i':)If I would have left a bit later, I had been in a traffic jam. (:cellnr class='gray':)Als ik iets later '''was vertrokken''', '''had''' ik in de file '''gestaan'''. (:cell width='50%' class='i':)If I had left a bit later, I had been in a traffic jam. (:tableend:) ==== Although we do use the conditional perfect in Dutch, the last example shows us a very common way to refer to past hypothetical situations. We often do not use the conditional perfect at all. Instead, we opt for the [[re15 | pluperfect tense]]. !!Using the pluperfect to refer to past hypothetical events In Dutch, we often use the [[re15 | pluperfect tense]] to express a hypothetical situation in the past. ==== (:table width="90%" align="center" cellspacing="0" class="gray":) (:cellnr width="50%" valign="top" class="gray":)Ik '''had''' dat zeker niet '''gedaan'''. (:cell width="50%" valign="top" class="i":)I certainly would not have done that. (:cellnr width="50%" valign="top" class="gray":)Als je op tijd '''was geweest''', dan '''had''' je het al '''afgehad'''. (:cell width="50%" valign="top" class="i":)If you had been on time, (then) you would have finished it already. (:tableend:) ==== Another way of writing an 'als-subclause' is to leave out 'als' and to invert the finite form (meaning that the finite verb and subject switch places): ==== (:table width="90%" align="center" cellspacing="0" class="gray":) (:cellnr width="50%" valign="top" class="gray":)'''Was''' je op tijd geweest, dan '''had''' je het al '''afgehad'''. (:cell width="50%" valign="top" class="i":)Had you been on time, (then) you would have finished it already. (:tableend:) ==== !!Should have For "should have [past participle]", the Dutch say: "hadden moeten* [infinitive]." The Dutch construction is in the [[re15 | pluperfect tense]], which we often use instead of the conditional perfect. ==== (:table width="90%" align="center" cellspacing="0" class="gray":) (:cellnr width="50%" valign="top" class="gray":)Ik '''had''' dat niet '''moeten zeggen'''. (:cell width="50%" valign="top" class="i":)I should not have said that. (:cellnr valign="top" class="gray":)Ik '''had''' mijn tentamen beter '''moeten voorbereiden'''. (:cell valign="top" class="i":)I should have prepared for the test better. (:tableend:) ==== (*) Normally, the verbs that follow after [[ir07 | hebben]], [[ir03 | worden]], or [[ir06 | zijn]] are past participles: Here, we find an infinitive (moeten). For the explanation: see [[au05 | past participle turning into an infinitive]]. A very useful web site is {$WEB}[[AXS:ax.pl?http://www.verbix.com/languages/dutch.shtml | www.verbix.com]]. (:div style="border: 1px solid gray; background-color:#cfe7e7; padding:5px; font-size:10px;":) ==== Note that the examples above give you the unstressed [[Pronouns.ps01 | personal pronouns]]. Some pronouns change when they are stressed in a phrase: je/jij, we/wij, ze/zij (both singular and plural). (:divend:) ==== (:div id="next":) (:divend:)