Definitions For Would

Noun

WOULD (plural WOULDs) Something that would happen, or would be the case, under different circumstances; a potentiality.

Verb

(heading) As a past-tense form of will. (obsolete) wished, wished, desired (something). 9th-19thc. (archaic) wanted, wanted to ( + bare infinitive). from 9thc. 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{{nb...}}. used, used to; was or were habitually accustomed to ( + bare infinitive); {{n-g, indicating an action in the past that happened repeatedly or commonly}}. from 9thc. {{quote-book, en, year=1898, author={{w, Winston Churchill (novelist), Winston Churchill}}, title={{w, The Celebrity}}, chapter=4, passage=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, "Soundtrack of my life", The Guardian, 15 March: : 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. {{n-g, Used with bare infinitive to form the "anterior future", indicating a futurity relative to a past time.}} from 9thc. 1867, {{w, Anthony Trollope}}, {{w, Chronicles of Barsetshire, Last Chronicle of Barset}}, Ch.28: : That her Lily should have been won and not worn, had been, and would be, a trouble to her for ever. {{RQ:BLwnds TLdgr, I, 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. {{quote-journal, en, date=November 5, 2011, author=Phil Dawkes, work=BBC Sport (archaic) {{n-g, Used with ellipsis of the infinitive verb, or postponement to a relative clause, in various senses}}. from 9thc. 1724, {{w, Daniel Defoe}}, {{w, Roxana: The Fortunate Mistress, Roxana}}, Penguin p.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{{nb...}}. 1846, "A New Sentimental Journey", Blackwoods Magazine, vol.LX, no.372: : If I could fly, I would away to those realms of light and warmth – far, far away in the southern clime{{nb...}}. Was determined to; loosely, could naturally have been expected to (given the tendencies of someone's character etc.). from 18thc. 1835, {{w, Charles Dickens}}, {{w, Sketches by Boz}}, V: : 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{{nb...}}. 2009, "Is the era of free news over?", The Observer, {{nowrap, 10 May:}} : The free access model, the media magnate said last week, was "malfunctioning". Well he would, wouldn't he? (heading) As a modal verb, the subjunctive of will. {{n-g, Used to give a conditional or potential "softening" to the present}}; might, might wish. from 9thc. 2008, Mark Cocker, "Country Diary", The Guardian, 3 November: : It's a piece of old folklore for which I would love to find hard proof. {{n-g, Used as the auxiliary of the simple conditional modality (with a bare infinitive); indicating an action or state that is conditional on another}}. from 9thc. 2010, The Guardian, 26 February: : Warnock admitted it would be the ideal scenario if he received a Carling Cup winners' medal as well as an England call-up{{nb...}}. (chiefly, archaic) Might wish ( + verb in past subjunctive); {{n-g, often used in the first person (with or without that) in the sense of "if only"}}. from 13thc. 1859, {{w, John Bunyan}}, {{w, The Pilgrim's Progress}}, : I presently wished, would that I h}}ad been in their clothes! would that I had been born Peter! would that I had been born John! 1868, Sir {{w, Walter Scott}}, {{w, Ivanhoe}}, Ch.23: : 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, {{w, Philostratus}}, {{w, Life of Apollonius of Tyana}}, translated by {{w, F. C. Conybeare}} ({{w, 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." {{n-g, Used to impart a sense of hesitancy or uncertainty to the present}}; might be inclined to. {{n-g, Now sometimes colloquially with ironic effect}}. from 15thc. 2009, Nick Snow, The Rocket's Trail, p.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, {{w, Terry Pratchett}}, "My case for a euthanasia tribunal", The Guardian, {{nowrap, 2 February:}} : Departing on schedule with the help of a friendly doctor was quite usual. Does that still apply? It would seem so. {{n-g, Used interrogatively to express a polite request}}; are (you) willing to …? from 15thc. : {{ux, en, Would you pass the salt, please?}} (chiefly, archaic, transitive, or, control verb) Might desire; wish (something). from 15thc. 1608, {{w, William Shakespeare}}, {{w, King Lear}}, I.4: : What dost thou professe? What would’st thou with vs?

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 citations:would, the citations page for examples. When used, mainly archaically, in the sense of "if only", the first-person subject pronoun is often omitted.
Synonyms
(indicating an action in the past that happened repeatedly or commonly): used to (used to express a polite request): be so good as to, kindly, please
Translations
Note: many languages express some meanings of would using a mood or tense rather than by a particular word. Assamese: হেঁতেন, হয় Bulgarian: {{t-needed, bg}} 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! Dutch: zou/zouden (past tense of zullen) It would be warmer here, if you had not opened the window. - Het zou hier warmer zijn, als je het venster niet had geopend/niet zou hebben geopend Esperanto: Use the conditional tense We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - Ni estus pli varmaj se vi 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 vous n'aviez pas ouvert la fenêtre ! Georgian: {{t-needed, ka}} 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 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 Polish: Use the conditional tense (-by-), by 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! - Teríamos mais calor se você não tivesse aberto a janela. Romanian: {{t-needed, ro}} Russian: Use the conditional tense (бы) We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - Было бы теплее, если бы ты не открыл окно! Spanish: conditional tense We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - ¡Tendríamos más calor si no hubieras abierto la ventana! Swedish: skulle We would be warmer if you hadn't opened the window! - Vi skulle vara varmare om du inte hade öppnat fönstret! Turkish: {{t-needed, tr}} 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 étions assis sur le banc, nous demandant si l'autobus serait en retard cette fois. German: Use the conjunctive 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 siamo seduti sulla panchina, domandandoci se il bus sarebbe stato 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. - Nos sentamos no banco, perguntando-nos se o ônibus chegaria tarde esta 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 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. 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 a 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 ha detto che sarebbe ritornato subito. Portuguese: Use the conditional tense (futuro do pretérito) The waiter said he would be right back. - O garçom disse que voltaria 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 ha dicho que volvería enseguida. Swedish: skulle The waiter said he would be right back. - Kyparen sa att han strax skulle komma tillbaka. Dutch: Use the past tense In the winters, we would sit by the hole on the frozen lake and fish for hours. - 's winters zaten we bij het gat in het bevroren meer en visten we urenlang. Esperanto: Use the past tense in the repetitive aspect In the winters, we would sit by the hole on the frozen lake and fish for hours. - En la vintroj, ni sidadis apud la truo sur la frostiĝinta lago kaj fiŝkaptadis 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 étions habituellement assis à côté du trou sur le lac gelé et nous 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. - Im Winter saßen wir immer um das Loch auf dem zugefrorenen See und angelten stundenlang. Greek: : Ancient: Use imperfect tense alone or past tense with ἄν 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 al 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, nos sentávamos perto do buraco do lago congelado e pescávamos por horas. Russian: Use the past tense with 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: conditional 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 que hay en el lago congelado y pescábamos durante horas. Swedish: bruka 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 fiska i flera timmar. 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 Would you please turn off the TV? — sulkea, sulkisit -ko, ko television? French: vouloir, veuillez (imperative) Would you please turn off the TV? - Pourrais-tu éteindre la télé, s'il te plaît? {{qualifier, informal}}; Pourriez-vous / Veuillez éteindre la télévision, s'il vous plaît? {{qualifier, 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 Would you please turn off the TV? - Vuoi spegnere la tivù, per favore? {{qualifier, infomal}}; Vuole spegnere la televisione, per favore? {{qualifier, formal}} Portuguese: por favor Would you please turn off the TV? - Pode desligar a televisão, por favor? {{qualifier, informal}}; Poderia desligar a televisão, por favor? {{qualifier, formal}}; Me faria a gentileza de desligar a televisão, por favor? {{qualifier, 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 Would you please turn off the TV? - ¿Podría apagar la televisión, por favor? {{qualifier, infomal}}; Me haría el favor de apagar la televisión? {{qualifier, very formal}}