Bi + the -l participle: politeness, wishes and 'if only'
The conditional comes from two pieces: the little word bi plus the -l form from the past. Rad bi govoril z zdravnikom — I would like to speak to the doctor. For example: “Rad bi se naročil pri osebnem zdravniku” — I would like to register with a GP. A rule from the Slovenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The conditional comes from two pieces: the little word bi plus the -l form from the past. Rad bi govoril z zdravnikom — I would like to speak to the doctor.
The pleasant news is that bi never changes for person. One word for all of them: jaz bi šel, ti bi šel, midva bi šla, oni bi šli. Only the -l form moves, by gender and number.
The first job of bi is politeness. At the pharmacy or the doctor's nobody says 'I want': Rad bi dvignil denar. A woman says rada bi, three or more radi bi. Politer still is bi lahko: Bi lahko ponovili?
The second job is a condition that never happened. Then bi stands in both halves: Če bi se učil, bi opravil izpit. With a real condition you drop it: Če se učim, opravim izpit.
Table
| who | conditional | English |
|---|---|---|
| I (m.) | bi šel | I would go |
| I (f.) | bi šla | I would go |
| we two | bi šla | the two of us would go |
| we | bi šli | we would go |
| a polite request | rad bi … | I would like to … |
| a polite question | bi lahko …? | could you …? |
| an unreal condition | če bi …, bi … | if … , … would … |
By example
- Rad bi se naročil pri osebnem zdravnikuI would like to register with a GP
- Če bi imel več prihrankov, bi kupil stanovanjeIf I had more savings, I would buy an apartment
- Bi lahko povedali, kje je sprejemna pisarna?Could you tell me where the reception desk is?
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Bi + the -l participle: how does it work in Slovenian?
The conditional comes from two pieces: the little word bi plus the -l form from the past. Rad bi govoril z zdravnikom — I would like to speak to the doctor.
What does it look like in an example sentence Slovenian?
“Rad bi se naročil pri osebnem zdravniku” — I would like to register with a GP. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.