Please take a look at this phrase
Si, yo fuera millionario,compraría una isla.
Does this translate as
1. If I were a millionaire *I would buy* an island
or
2. If I were a millionaire *I might buy* an island.
If it translates as 1 then what is the Spanish equivalent of 2.
If it translates as 2 then what is the Spanish equivalent of 1.
Sal2
Nev
How to express I might or I would
nevjohnson
April 4, 2006
nohablo
April 4, 2006
I should really wait until someone much more knowledgeable than I am gives you an answer, but I'd like to take a stab at it. If I'm wrong, I hope someone will correct me.
I think "Si yo fuera millonario [note spelling], yo compraría una isla" is translated by your #1: "If I were a millionaire, I would buy an island." If you want to say "If I were a millionaire, I might buy an island," I think you may have to use a construction like *es posible que* or *puede que* with the imperfect subjunctive:
"Si yo fuera millonario, es posible que yo comprara una isla."
I hope that someone who knows a lot more Spanish than I do will help out here. :)
AnthonyLouis
April 4, 2006
The Spanish conditional tense is translated at "would".
Si yo fuera millionario, compraría una isla. =
If I were a milllionarie, I would buy an island.
See __http://www.musicalspanish.com/tutorial/conditional.htm__ for a discussion of conditional tense.
Mauricio
April 6, 2006
Hello Anthony,
Si yo fuera millonario, compraría una isla. Definitely means "If I were a millionaire, I would buy an island". Notice I've taken the coma in between “Si, Yo...” as in that case you would be saying "Yes, I was a ......"
Anyway, if you wanted to say "*you might buy an island*" you would use the term "*a lo mejor*" which expresses uncertainty or the possibility of something... so the phrase would be:
*Si yo fuera millonario, a lo mejor compraría una isla.*
I hope that helps,
Mauricio.
nevjohnson
April 10, 2006
Mauricio,
Thanks for clarifying.
One thing though.
Some research I have done indicates that the following would also indicate possiblity and hence would translate as I might buy
Si yo fuera.......podría comprar una isla.
Can you clarify where this is correct.
Sal2
Nev
taalibeen
April 10, 2006
Wouldn't that mean, "if I were a millionare, I WOULD buy..." as opposed to "MIGHT buy"?
The sentence you wrote, to me, seems to indicated that if you were a millionare, you definitely would buy an island.
Si yo fuera, compraría un isla.
If I were rich, I would buy an island.
The inclusion of "a lo mejor", which means "maybe", would render the sentence, as Mauricio said:
Si yo fuera un millinario, a lo mejor compraría un isla
which could more litterally be translated as:
If I were rich, maybe I would buy an island.
nohablo
April 10, 2006
I'm learning a lot from this conversation. Can someone tell me whether the sentence I had suggested earlier--*Si yo fuera millonario, es posible que yo comprara una isla*--is another legitimate way to express the possibility that if I were a millionaire, I *might* buy an island? This uses *es posible que* with the imperfect subjunctive. Is that way off base?
taalibeen
April 10, 2006
I hadn't thought of that!
From the examples of the subjuntivo (subjunctive mood) that I've commited to memory though, that seems to me like it would be legitimate.
That would fall under the I for Impersonal expressions in U.W.E.I.R.D.O.
bkdamon
April 11, 2006
U.W.E.I.R.D.O.
Excuse me for an off-topic response, but what does this stand for?
nohablo
April 11, 2006
Hola bkdamon. It's not really an off-topic question. U.W.E.I.R.D.O. refers to a resource taalibeen found that helps with the subjunctive. You can find the discussion on the forum at __http://www.rocketspanish.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=142__
Mauricio
April 11, 2006
Hola de nuevo, (Hello again)
The sentence: "Si yo fuera... podría comprar una isla" mean "If I were... I could buy an island". This expresses the ability to buy the island but not the desire.
Now... "Si yo fuera millonario, es posible que yo comprara una isla" this sentence does express the possibility or desire of buying an island but the meaning behind it is slightly different. Like in many Spanish sentences the way you say them, relates back to the intensity of your feeling... when you use "a lo mejor" it shows that you are really thinking about it. When you use "es posible" it also shows that you are thinking about it but in more of an offhand kind of way... I hope you guys know what I mean.
Anyway, that’s something to think about, I may stand corrected, It’s just what I think....
Keep up the good work.
Mauricio.
taalibeen
April 11, 2006
podría comprar: I could buy - I was looking right at it but somehow missed it until you, Mauricio, pointed it out.
Gracias!
nohablo
April 11, 2006
[quo]*Quote from * Mauricio
Like in many Spanish sentences the way you say them, relates back to the intensity of your feeling... when you use "a lo mejor" it shows that you are really thinking about it. When you use "es posible" it also shows that you are thinking about it but in more of an offhand kind of way[/quo]
Muchas gracias, Mauricio. This is _very_ helpful!
nevjohnson
April 11, 2006
Mauricio,
Remember in reality
Podría is from the verb poder which in English means TO BE ABLE TO
which as Mauricio pointed out indicates the capacity to do something i.e
the ability.
Hence in reality podría comprar means .....would be able to buy.
Now my English grammar is not that HOT but I think that
I could buy = I would be able to buy
Comments and thoughts on this?
Regards
Nev
bills-c
August 14, 2014
Is tis also correct?
Si yo fuera millonario, talvez yo compraría una isla.
ricardo-rich
August 14, 2014
Hola Bill Memo,
Correcto, pero es tal vez, dos palabras.
Saludos,
Ricardo
bills-c
August 15, 2014
Gracias Ricardo!
Ava Dawn
August 15, 2014
Wow! We got Mauricio in the conversation. This is awesome. Rocket Spanish is getting lots of activity. I hope we get more thoughts like this. If I were a millionaire, I would certainly buy an island in the Greek Isle.
Ava Dawn
August 24, 2014
Oh Msuricio answered in April. Somebody just added a thread in August. Sorry, got too excited too soon.
ricardo-rich
August 25, 2014
Hola Aurora,
Mauricio's answer was in April 2006. Neither he nor Amy have replied in years, but the rest of us students are here to help each other.
Saludos,
Ricardo