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would in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Old English wolde, past tense of willan.
Pronunciation
Verb
would (auxiliary)
- Past tense of will; usually followed by a bare infinitive.
- Used to form the "anterior future", or "future in the past", indicating a futurity relative to a past time.
On my first day at University, I met the woman who would become my wife.
1913, Mrs. [Marie] Belloc Lowndes, chapter I, in The Lodger, London: Methuen, →OCLC; republished in Novels of Mystery: The Lodger; The Story of Ivy; What Really Happened, New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green and Co., , , →OCLC, page 0056:Thanks to that penny he had just spent so recklessly [on a newspaper] he would pass a happy hour, taken, for once, out of his anxious, despondent, miserable self. It irritated him shrewdly to know that these moments of respite from carking care would not be shared with his poor wife, with careworn, troubled Ellen.
2011 November 5, Phil Dawkes, “QPR 2-3 Man City”, in BBC Sport:Toure would have the decisive say though, rising high to power a header past Kenny from Aleksandar Kolarov's cross.
- Used to; was or were habitually accustomed to; indicating an action in the past that happened repeatedly or commonly.
- When we were younger, we would cycle out to the beach most summer Sundays.
1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 46:No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or otherwise his man would be there with a message to say that his master would shortly join me if I would kindly wait.
2009 March 15, “Soundtrack of my life”, in The Guardian:When we were kids we would sit by the radio with a tape recorder on a Sunday, listening out for the chart songs we wanted to have.
- Was or were determined to; indicating someone's insistence upon doing something.
I asked her to stay in with me, but she would go out.
1836, “Boz” [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], chapter V, in Sketches by “Boz,” Illustrative of Every-day Life, and Every-day People. , volumes (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Macrone, , →OCLC:Then he took to breeding silk-worms, which he would bring in two or three times a day, in little paper boxes, to show the old lady […].
- Could naturally have been expected to (given the tendencies of someone's character etc.).
Sorry, officer, I wouldn't know anything about the crime, since I was nowhere near the scene.
2009 May 10, “Is the era of free news over?”, in The Observer:The free access model, the media magnate said last week, was "malfunctioning". Well he would, wouldn't he?
- (archaic) Wanted to.
1490, William Caxton, Prologue to Eneydos:And thenne at laste a-nother sayd that he wolde have eyren. Then the good wyf sayd that she understod hym wel.
- 1852, James Murdock, trans. Johann Lorenz Mosheim, Institutes of Ecclesiastical History, II.7.iii:
- The Greeks, especially those who would be thought adepts in mystic theology, ran after fantastic allegories .
- (archaic) Used with ellipsis of the infinitive verb, or postponement to a relative clause, in various senses.
1694, John Strype, Memorials of The Most Reverend Father in God, Thomas Cranmer, Appendix page 68:At which time he told me, he would to London that week, and so to Oxford.
1724, Daniel Defoe, Roxana, Penguin, page 107:He sat as one astonish'd, a good-while, looking at me, without speaking a Word, till I came quite up to him, kneel'd on one Knee to him, and almost whether he would or no, kiss'd his Hand […].
1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:'I thank thee, oh Ayesha,' I replied, with as much dignity as I could command, 'but if there be such a place as thou dost describe, and if in this strange place there may be found a fiery virtue that can hold off Death when he comes to pluck us by the hand, yet would I none of it.'
- (obsolete) Wished, desired (something).
- A modal verb, the subjunctive of will; usually followed by a bare infinitive.
- Used as the auxiliary of the simple conditional modality, indicating a state or action that is conditional on another.
If I won the lottery, I would give half the money to charity.
1846, “A New Sentimental Journey”, in Blackwoods Magazine, volume LX, number 372:If I could fly, I would away to those realms of light and warmth – far, far away in the southern clime […].
2010 February 26, The Guardian:Warnock admitted it would be the ideal scenario if he received a Carling Cup winners' medal as well as an England call-up […].
- Without explicit condition, or with loose or vague implied condition, indicating a hypothetical or imagined state or action.
I would love to come and visit.
Look at that yummy cake! I would eat that all up!
2008 November 3, Mark Cocker, “Country Diary”, in The Guardian:It's a piece of old folklore for which I would love to find hard proof.
- Suggesting conditionality or potentiality in order to express a sense of politeness, tentativeness, indirectness, hesitancy, uncertainty, etc.
I would ask you all to sit down.
I would imagine that they have already left.
2009, Nick Snow, The Rocket's Trail, page 112:“Those trials are being run by the American army so surely you must have access to the documents?” “Well, yeah, you’d think.”
2010 February 2, Terry Pratchett, “My case for a euthanasia tribunal”, in The Guardian:Departing on schedule with the help of a friendly doctor was quite usual. Does that still apply? It would seem so.
- Used to express what the speaker would do in another person's situation, as a means of giving a suggestion or recommendation.
- It's disgraceful the way that they've treated you. I would write and complain.
- Used to express the speaker's belief or assumption.
He's very security-conscious, so he would have remembered to lock the door.
They would be arriving in London round about now.
- Used interrogatively to express a polite request; are (you) willing to …?
Would you pass the salt, please?
- (chiefly archaic) Might wish (+ verb in past subjunctive); often used in the first person (with or without that) in the sense of "if only".
1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :KING HENRY
Thou dost not wish more help from England, coz?
WESTMORELAND
God’s will, my liege, would you and I alone,
Without more help, could fight this royal battle!
1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: , London: Nath Ponder , →OCLC; reprinted in The Pilgrim’s Progress (The Noel Douglas Replicas), London: Noel Douglas, , 1928, →OCLC:I presently wished, would that I had been in their clothes! would that I had been born Peter! would that I had been born John!
1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, Ivanhoe; a Romance. , volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. , →OCLC:I would she had retained her original haughtiness of disposition, or that I had a larger share of Front-de-Bœuf's thrice-tempered hardness of heart!
- 1912, Philostratus, Life of Apollonius of Tyana, translated by F. C. Conybeare (Loeb Classical Library), 8.16:
- But as the youth increased their annoyance by declaring that the goddess was quite right, because the Emperor was Archon Eponym of the city of Athens, he said: "Would that he also presided the Panathenaic festival."
- (chiefly archaic, transitive or control verb) Might desire; wish (something).
c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :
Usage notes
- As an auxiliary verb, would is followed by the bare infinitive (without to):
- John said he would have fish for dinner.
- Would is frequently contracted to 'd, especially after a pronoun (as in I'd, you'd, and so on).
- The term would-be retains the senses of both desire and potentiality (those of wannabe and might-be, respectively).
- Indicating a wish, would takes a clause in the past subjunctive (irrealis) mood; this clause may or may not be introduced with that. Most commonly in modern usage, it is followed by the adverb rather, as in I would rather that he go now. A call to a deity or other higher power is sometimes interposed after would and before the subjunctive clause, as in Would to God that ; see the citations page for examples.
- When used, mainly archaically, in the sense of "if only", the first-person subject pronoun is often omitted.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
Note: many languages express some meanings of would using a mood or tense rather than by a particular word.
indicating an action or state that is conditional on another
- Arabic: Use the conditional tense
- We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the windows!- !سنكون أكثر دفئًا إذا لم تفتح النافذة
- Assamese: হেঁতেন (hẽten), হয় (hoy)
- Bulgarian: please add this translation if you can
- Catalan: Use the conditional tense
- We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - Estariem més calents si no haguessis obert la finestra!
- Czech: Use conditional tense of být (cs) + infinitive
- We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - Bylo by nám tepleji, kdybyste neotevřeli okno!
- Dutch: zou/zouden (past tense of zullen)
- We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - We zouden warmer zijn als je het raam niet had geopend!
- Esperanto: Use the conditional tense
- We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - Ni estus pli varmaj se ci ne malfermus la fenestron!
- Finnish: Use the conditional mood
- We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - Meillä olisi lämpimämpää, jos et olisi avannut ikkunaa!
- French: Use the conditional tense
- We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - Nous aurions plus chaud si tu n'avais pas ouvert la fenêtre !
- Georgian: please add this translation if you can
- German: Use the subjunctive mood or "würde + infinitive
- We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - Uns wäre wärmer, wenn du das Fenster nicht geöffnet hättest!
- Greek:
- Ancient: Use the optative mood + ἄν (án)
- Hungarian: Use the conditional tense, -na/-ne/-ná/-né
- It would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - Melegebb volna, ha nem nyitottad volna ki az ablakot!
- Italian: Use the conditional tense
- We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - Staremmo più al caldo se tu non avessi aperto la finestra!
- Latin: Use the imperfect subjunctive
- We hoped (that) the slave would carry the wine. - Sperabamus ut servus vinum portaret.
- Old Assamese: হন্তে (honte)
- Polish: Use the conditional tense (-by-), by (pl)
- We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - Byłoby nam cieplej, gdybyś nie otworzył okna!
- Portuguese: use the conditional tense
- We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - Estaríamos sentindo mais calor se não tivesses aberto a janela!
- Romanian: Use the conditional tense of avea + infinitive, avea (ro)
- We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - Ne-ar fi mai cald dacă n-ai fi deschis fereastra!
- Russian: Use the conditional tense (бы)
- We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - Нам было бы теплее, если бы ты не открыл окно!
- Spanish: Use the conditional tense
- We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - ¡Tendríamos más calor si no hubieras abierto la ventana!
- Swedish: skulle (sv)
- We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - Vi skulle vara varmare om du inte hade öppnat fönstret!
- Turkish: Use the aorist past tense
- We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - Pencereyi açmasaydınız, daha sıcak olurduk!
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indicating a possible (but not definite) future action or state
- Dutch: zou/zouden (past tense of zullen)
- We sat on the bench asking ourselves if the bus would be too late this time. - We zaten op de bank ons afvragend of de bus deze keer te laat zou zijn.
- Esperanto: Use the future tense
- We sat on the bench, wondering if the bus would be late this time. - Ni sidis sur la benko nin demandante, ĉu la buso malfruos ĉi tiun fojon.
- Finnish: Use the conditional mood
- We sat on the bench, wondering if the bus would be late this time. - Istuimme rannalla miettien, tulisiko linja-auto tämän kerran myöhässä.
- French: Use the conditional tense
- We sat on the bench, wondering if the bus would be late this time. - Nous nous assîmes sur le banc, nous demandant si l'autobus serait en retard cette fois.
- German: Use the subjunctive mood
- We sat on the bench, wondering if the bus would be late this time. - Wir saßen auf der Bank und fragten uns, ob der Bus diesmal zu spät käme.
- Hungarian: Use the future or present tense with -e
- We sat on the bench, wondering if the bus would be late this time. - A padon ültünk, és azon gondolkoztunk, hogy ezúttal elkésik-e a busz.
- Italian: Use the conditional perfect tense
- We sat on the bench, wondering if the bus would be late this time. - Ci sedemmo sulla panchina, domandandoci se il bus sarebbe in ritardo questa volta.
- Portuguese: Use the conditional tense (futuro do pretérito)
- We sat on the bench, wondering if the bus would be late this time. - Sentamo-nos ao banco, perguntando-nos se o ônibus/autocarro chegaria tarde desta vez.
- Russian: Use the future tense with (ли)
- We sat on the bench, wondering if the bus would be late this time. - Мы сидели на скамейке и гадали, опоздает ли автобус.
- Spanish: conditional tense
- We sat on the bench, wondering if the bus would be late this time. - Nos sentamos en el banco, preguntándonos si el autobús llegaría tarde esta vez
- Swedish: skulle (sv)
- We sat on the bench, wondering if the bus would be late this time. - Vi satt på bänken och undrade om bussen skulle bli sen den här gången.
- Turkish: Use -ip/-ıp/-up/-üp and the negative prospective particle with the definitive accusative
- We sat on the bench, wondering if the bus would be late this time. - Otobüsün bu sefer geç kalıp kalmayacağını merak ederek bankta oturduk.
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indicating an action in the past that was planned or intended
- Dutch: zou/zouden (past tense of zullen)
- The waiter said that he would be right back. - De ober zei dat hij meteen terug zou keren.
- Esperanto: Use the future tense
- The waiter said he would be right back. - La kelnero diris, ke li tuj revenos.
- Finnish: Use the present tense or omit the subject and use the active present participle with a possessive suffix congruent with the subject
- The waiter said he would be right back. - Tarjoilija sanoi, että hän palaa pian. / Tarjoilija sanoi palaavansa pian.
- French: Use the conditional tense
- The waiter said he would be right back. - Le garçon dit qu'il reviendrait tout de suite.
- German: Use either the Subjunctive I or II form of the verb, or würde + infinitive
- The waiter said he would be right back. - Der Kellner sagte, er sei sofort wieder da.
- Hungarian: Use the future or present tense
- The waiter said he would be right back. - A pincér azt mondta, hogy mindjárt visszajön.
- Italian: Use the conditional perfect tense
- The waiter said he would be right back. - Il cameriere disse che ritornerebbe subito.
- Portuguese: Use the conditional tense
- The waiter said he would be right back. - O garçom disse que retornaria logo.
- Russian: Use the future tense
- The waiter said he would be right back. - Официант сказал, что скоро вернется.
- Spanish: conditional tense
- The waiter said he would be right back. - El camarero dijo que volvería enseguida.
- Swedish: skulle (sv)
- The waiter said he would be right back. - Kyparen sa att han strax skulle komma tillbaka.
- Turkish: Use the prospective personal participle with the definitive accusative
- The waiter said he would be right back. - Garson hemen geri geleceğini söyledi.
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indicating an action in the past that happened repeatedly or commonly
- Dutch: Use the past tense with voorheen or vroeger
- In the winters, we would sit by the hole on the frozen lake and fish for hours. - 's winters zaten we vroeger bij het gat in het bevroren meer en visten we urenlang.
- Esperanto: Use antaŭe and the past tense
- In the winters, we would sit by the hole on the frozen lake and fish for hours. - En la vintro, ni antaŭe sidis apud la truo sur la frostiĝinta lago kaj antaŭe fiŝkaptis dum horoj.
- Finnish: Use the adessive case with the construction oli tapana
- In the winters, we would sit by the hole on the frozen lake and fish for hours. - Talvisin meillä oli tapana istua jäisen järven avannon vieressä ja kalastaa tuntikausia.
- French: Use the imperfect tense
- In the winters, we would sit by the hole on the frozen lake and fish for hours. - En hiver, nous nous asseyions près du trou sur le lac gelé et pêchions pendant des heures.
- German: Use the preterite tense and immer for emphasis on the repetitive nature
- In the winters, we would sit by the hole on the frozen lake and fish for hours. - Winters saßen wir immer um das Loch auf dem zugefrorenen See und angelten stundenlang.
- Greek:
- Ancient: Use imperfect tense alone or past tense with ἄν (án)
- Hungarian: Use the past tense
- In the winters, we would sit by the hole on the frozen lake and fish for hours. - Minden télen órákat ültünk a jégen a lyuk mellett, és halásztunk.
- Italian: Use the imperfect tense
- In the winters, we would sit by the hole on the frozen lake and fish for hours. - D'inverno, ci sedevamo presso il buco sul lago ghiacciato e pescavamo per ore.
- Portuguese: Use the imperfect tense
- In the winters, we would sit by the hole on the frozen lake and fish for hours. - No inverno, sentávamo-nos perto do buraco no lago congelado e pescávamos por horas.
- Russian: Use the past tense of the verb in the imperfective aspect
- In the winters, we would sit by the hole on the frozen lake and fish for hours. - Зимой мы сидели у лунки на замерзшем озере и часами рыбачили.
- Spanish: Use of the imperfect tense
- In the winters, we would sit by the hole on the frozen lake and fish for hours. - En invierno, nos sentábamos cerca del agujero en el lago congelado y pescábamos durante horas.
- Swedish: Use 'brukade' and the infinitive of the verb
- In the winters, we would sit by the hole on the frozen lake and fish for hours. - På vintrarna brukade vi sitta vid vaken i den frusna sjön och brukade fiska i flera timmar.
- Turkish: Use the aorist past tense
- In the winters, we would sit by the hole on the frozen lake and fish for hours. - Kışın, donmuş göldeki deliğin yanında oturup saatlerce balık tutardık.
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used to express a polite request
- Dutch: zou/zouden (past tense of zullen), gelieve
- Would you please turn off the TV? - Zou u a.u.b. de TV kunnen uitzetten, Gelieve de TV uit te schakelen, a.u.b.
- Esperanto: bonvoli
- Would you please turn off the TV? - Bonvolu malŝalti la televidon, mi petas?
- Finnish: Use the conditional
- French: vouloir (fr), veuillez (fr), pouvoir (fr) (imperative)
- Would you please turn off the TV? - Pourrais-tu éteindre la télé, s'il te plaît? (informal); Pourriez-vous / Veuillez éteindre la télévision, s'il vous plaît? (formal)
- German: Use the conditional paraphrase employing würden
- Would you please turn off the TV? - Würden Sie bitte den Fernseher ausschalten?
- Hungarian: Use the conditional
- Would you please turn off the TV? Kikapcsolnád a tv-t? / Megtennéd, hogy kikapcsolod a tv-t?
- Italian: volere (it)
- Would you please turn off the TV? - Vuoi spegnere la tivù, per favore? (infomal); Vuole spegnere la televisione, per favore? (formal)
- Portuguese: por favor (pt)
- Would you please turn off the TV? - Podes desligar a televisão/TV, por favor? (informal); Poderia desligar a televisão, por favor? (formal); Faria a gentileza de desligar a televisão, por favor? (very formal)
- Russian: Use the conditional parafrase with negative or imperative with пожалуйста
- Would you please turn off the TV? - Телевизор не выключите?, Выключите, пожалуйста, телевизор.
- Spanish: por favor (es)
- Would you please turn off the TV? - ¿Podrías apagar la televisión/telé, por favor? (infomal); ¿Podría usted apagar la televisión, por favor? (formal); Me haría el favor de apagar la televisión, por favor? (very formal)
- Turkish: Use the aorist present tense
- Would you please turn off the TV? - Televizyonu lütfen kapatır mısın?
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Noun
would (plural woulds)
- Something that would happen, or would be the case, under different circumstances; a potentiality.
1996, Fred Shoemaker, Extraordinary Golf: The Art of the Possible, page 88:When the golf ball is there, the whole self-interference package — the hopes, worries, and fears; the thoughts on how-to and how-not-to; the woulds, the coulds, and the shoulds — is there too.
2010, Shushona Novos, The Personal Universal: A Guidebook for Spiritual Evolution, page 395:Shushona you must learn to rightfully prioritize all the woulds, shoulds and coulds of your life.
Interjection
would
- (slang, idiomatic) Ellipsis of I would: used to denote that the speaker finds another person sexually attractive.
See also