Conditional Forms: Saying "Would Do"
To talk about hypothetical situations or what someone "would do," you use the conditional mood. This is formed using the past tense form of the verb (the -л/-ла/-ло/-ли form) followed by the conditional particle бы. The particle бы is usually placed after the verb or the subject, but can also appear after other words for emphasis.
- Formation: Past tense (l-form) + particle бы
- Examples: Я чита́л бы (m.) / чита́ла бы (f.) ту кни́гу (I would read that book). Он пошёл бы в кино́ (He would go to the cinema). Мы сде́лали бы это всё вме́сте (We would do that all together). Что бы вы хоте́ли? (What would you like? - бы follows the question word).