would

Language: en

Meaning: Past tense ofwill; 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.[from 9th c.]On my first day at University, I met the woman whowouldbecome my wife.Hi! IthoughtI'dcome overand introduce myself. My name’sChema.1867,Anthony Trollope, chapter 28, inLast Chronicle of Barset:That her Lily should have been won and not worn, had been, andwouldbe, a trouble to her for ever.1913,Mrs. [Marie] Belloc Lowndes, chapter I, inThe Lodger, London:Methuen,→OCLC; republished inNovels of Mystery: The Lodger; The Story of Ivy; What Really Happened, New York, N.Y.:Longmans, Green and Co.,[…],[1933],→OCLC,page0056:Thanks to that penny he had just spent so recklessly [on a newspaper] hewouldpass 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.2011November 5, Phil Dawkes, “QPR 2-3 Man City”, inBBC Sport:Tourewouldhave the decisive say though, rising high to power a header past Kenny from Aleksandar Kolarov's cross.Used to, didrepeatedly,habitually;indicates an action that happened several times in the past (cannot describe continuous states, as inI used to live in London)[from 9th c.]When we were younger, wewouldcycle out to the beach most summer Sundays.1897December (indicated as1898),Winston Churchill, chapter IV, inThe Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.:The Macmillan Company; London:Macmillan & Co., Ltd.,→OCLC,page46:No matter how early I came down, Iwouldfind him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or otherwise his manwouldbe there with a message to say that his master would shortly join me if I would kindly wait.2009March 15, “Soundtrack of my life”, inThe Guardian:When we were kids wewouldsit by the radio with a tape recorder on a Sunday, listening out for the chart songs we wanted to have.Was or weredeterminedto;indicating someone's insistence upon doing something.[from 18th c.]I asked her to stay in with me, but shewouldgo out.1836, “Boz” [pseudonym;Charles Dickens], chapter V, inSketches by “Boz,” Illustrative of Every-day Life, and Every-day People.[…], volume(please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Macrone,[…],→OCLC:Then he took to breeding silk-worms, which hewouldbring in two or three times a day, in little paper boxes, to show the old lady[…].(archaic)Wantedto.[from 9th c.]1490, William Caxton,Prologue toEneydos:And thenne at laste a-nother sayd that hewoldehaveeyren. 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 whowouldbe thought adepts in mystic theology, ran after fantastic allegories[…].(archaic)Used withellipsisof the infinitive verb, or postponement to a relative clause, in various senses.[from 9th c.]1694, John Strype,Memorials of The Most Reverend Father in God, Thomas Cranmer‎[2], Appendix page 68:At which time he told me, hewouldtoLondonthat week, and so toOxford.1724,Daniel Defoe,Roxana, Penguin, page107: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 hewouldor no, kiss'd his Hand[…].1886October –1887January,H[enry] Rider Haggard,She: A History of Adventure, London:Longmans, Green, and Co., published1887,→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, yetwouldI none of it.'(obsolete)Wished,desired(something).[9th–19th c.]; A modal verb, the subjunctive ofwill; usually followed by a bare infinitive.Used as theauxiliaryof the simpleconditionalmodality, indicating a state or action that is conditional on another.[from 9th c.]If I won the lottery, Iwouldgive half the money to charity.I'dnever do anything that went against my conscience.1846, “A New Sentimental Journey”, inBlackwoods Magazine, volume LX, number372:If I could fly, Iwouldaway to those realms of light and warmth – far, far away in the southern clime[…].2010February 26,The Guardian:Warnock admitted itwouldbe 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.Iwouldlove to come and visit.Look at that yummy cake! Iwouldeat that all up!Most other peoplewoulddo it differently, helping anybody who was in trouble, whether they knew them or not.2008November 3, Mark Cocker, “Country Diary”, inThe Guardian:It's a piece of old folklore for which Iwouldlove to find hard proof.Suggesting conditionality or potentiality in order to express a sense of politeness, tentativeness, indirectness, hesitancy, uncertainty, etc.[from 9th c.]Iwouldask you all to sit down.Iwouldimagine that they have already left.Iwouldsay/think wewould/might do better to catch the earlier flight.2009, Nick Snow,The Rocket's Trail, page112:“Those trials are being run by the American army so surely you must have access to the documents?” “Well, yeah, you’dthink.”2010February 2,Terry Pratchett, “My case for a euthanasia tribunal”, inThe Guardian:Departing on schedule with the help of a friendly doctor was quite usual. Does that still apply? Itwouldseem 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. Iwouldwrite and complain.Used to express the speaker's belief or assumption.He's very security-conscious, so hewouldhave remembered to lock the door.Theywouldbe arriving in London round about now.Could naturally be expected to (given the situation, the tendencies of someone's character etc.).[from 18th c.]Sorry, officer, Iwouldn't know anything about the crime, since I was nowhere near the scene.2009May 10, “Is the era of free news over?”, inThe Observer:The free access model, the media magnate said last week, was "malfunctioning". Well hewould, wouldn't he?Used interrogatively to express a polite request; are (you) willing to …?[from 15th c.]Wouldyou pass the salt, please?(chieflyarchaic)Mightwish(+ verb in past subjunctive);often used in the first person (with or withoutthat) in the sense of "if only".[from 13th c.]c.1591–1595(date written),William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward]Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act III, scene iv]:PARISMy lord, I would that Thursday were tomorrow.1599(date written),William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward]Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act IV, scene iii]:KING HENRYThou dost not wish more help from England, coz?WESTMORELANDGod’s will, my liege,wouldyou 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[aniel]Ponder[…],→OCLC:I presently wished,wouldthat I had been in their clothes!wouldthat I had been born Peter!wouldthat I had been born John!1819December 20 (indicated as1820),Walter Scott,Ivanhoe; a Romance.[…], volume(please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh:[…]Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co.[…],→OCLC:Iwouldshe 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 byF. 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: "Wouldthat he also presided the Panathenaic festival."(chieflyarchaic,transitiveorcontrol verb)Mightdesire;wish(something).[from 15th c.]c.1603–1606,William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward]Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act I, scene iv]:Whatdostthouprofesse? Whatwould’stthou with vs?

Examples:

EN: What would I do without you?
ES: ¿Qué haría sin ti?
EN: I felt if I told you it would inform your behavior with him.
ES: Pensé que si te decía, cambiaría tu comportamiento con él.
EN: I was confident, in the course of their investigation, they would reach out to you and Tom, and they did.
ES: Confiaba que durante la investigación hablarían con Tom y contigo, y lo hicieron.
EN: If they worked together, why would he murder her?
ES: Si trabajaban juntos, ¿por qué la asesinó?
EN: If she did, and she shared those with us, that would represent the biggest intelligence coup in a decade.
ES: Si los tenía y los hubiera compartido con nosotros, eso significaría el mayor golpe de inteligencia de la década.
EN: - That would be ideal, but he's working an extraction in Ecuador.
ES: -Eso seria ideal pero está trabajando en una extracción en Ecuador.
EN: Red put us on to the Pavlovich brothers because he knew it would lead him straight to Xiaoping Li.
ES: Red nos informó de los hermanos Pavlovich porque sabía que lo llevría derecho hacia Xiaoping Li.
EN: Why would she write down a mathematical formula?
ES: ¿Por qué escribiría una fórmula matemática?
EN: A workman informs the astronomers that if they would ascend to the roof, they will witness a splendid spectacle:
ES: Un trabajador informa a los astrónomos que si ascendisen al techo presenciarían un espectáculo magnífico.
EN: It would please my parents and myself very much, if you... would like to spend your summer vacation here at the vicarage.
ES: Nos complacería mucho a mis padres y a mí, si a usted le apeteciese pasar las vacaciones de verano en la vicaría.
ES: Nos complacería mucho a mis padres y a mí, si a usted le apeteciese pasar las vacaciones de verano en la vicaría.
EN: A friend would like to talk with you
ES: Un amigo interesado en hablar con usted
EN: - You are threatening, but how you are going to... your master and Sultans son? - Don't you know that Serb would kill anyone for his honor?
ES: - ¿No sabes que el Serbio mataría por su honor?
EN: - Why that would be disaster, my lord?
ES: - ¿Por qué podría ser un desastre, señor?
EN: - That would ruin everything we accomplished, Vujica.
ES: - Podría arruinar todo lo realizado, Vujica.
EN: And when he gets bored... so that he would spatter it.
ES: Y después de burlarse de él... Ellos... lo llevaron para crucificarle.

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