Phrase · 🖋️ Rhetoric & literary style
Soubesse eu o que sei hoje, teria feito tudo diferente.
Had I known then what I know today, I'd have done everything differently.
C2reflecting on the pastliteraryAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Soubesse1verbknew (if I)saber · subjunctive · imperfect · 1st sing.eu1pronounI1st sing. · subjectopronounthatmasc. · sing.quepronounthat, whichseiverbknowsaber · present · 1st sing.hojeadverbtoday,teria2verbwould haveter · conditional · 1st sing.feito2verbdonefazer · participle · masc. · sing.tudopronouneverythingmasc. · sing.diferenteadverbdifferently.
- Soubesse → eu: verb first, subject after = se eu soubesse
- Soubesse → teria: unreal condition → conditional result
- teria → feito: compound conditional
Word for word: “Knew I what I know today, I would-have done everything different.”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1Conditional without se: the imperfect subjunctive comes first and the subject follows (= Se eu soubesse). Literary syntax: conjunctionless conditionals, em + gerund, nominal infinitive →
- 2Compound conditional (futuro do pretérito composto) for an unreal past result.
Variations
- Se eu soubesse o que sei hoje, teria feito tudo diferente.
- Se eu soubesse o que sei hoje, tinha feito tudo diferente.