Tingimuslaad

Tingimuslaad, or the conditional mood in Estonian grammar, is used to express hypothetical or contingent actions, wishes, and polite requests. It contrasts with the indicative mood and is common in both spoken and written language.

Formation and examples of present conditional: The present conditional forms are built from the verb stem with person-specific endings. Common examples include Ma tahaksin kohvi (I would like coffee), Ta teeks selle homme (He would do this tomorrow), Sa teeksid seda (You would do this). We jaoksime (we would go) would be another example in common use. The exact endings vary by verb, but the pattern typically marks non-factual or contingent meaning rather than simple assertion.

Past conditional: For hypothetical statements about the past, Estonian uses the past conditional, formed with the auxiliary olema in the conditional (oleks) plus a past participle, often with the subject in the appropriate form. Examples: Ma oleksin teinud selle, kui oleksin teadnud. (I would have done it if I had known.) Kui ta oleks tulnud, oleksime saanud abi. This construction expresses that something did not happen but would have under different conditions.

Usage and scope: Tingimuslaad is employed in conditional clauses introduced by kui (if) to present hypothetical situations, and in requests or wishes that are polite or tentative. It also appears in indirect speech and in certain stylistic or formal contexts where non-assertive statements are preferred.

See also: Estonian grammar, mood, conditional clauses.