Phrase · 😔 Regrets and reproaches
Podrías haberme avisado de que ibas a llegar tarde.
You could have told me you were going to be late.
B2regretting reproachinginformalAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Podrías1verbyou couldpoder · conditional · 2nd sing.haberme1verbhave (+ me)haber · infinitiveavisadoverbtold, warnedavisar · participle · past · masc. · sing.de2preposition(of)que2conjunctionthatibas3verbyou were goingir · imperfect · 2nd sing.a3prepositiontollegarverbarriveinfinitivetardeadverblate.
- Podrías → haberme: obj
- avisado → de: prep
- ibas → a: prep
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1Podrías haber + participle = you could have…: a reproach, softer than deberías haber. The pronoun attaches to haber. Past unreal conditions: pluperfect subjunctive and conditional perfect →
- 2avisar de que: many speakers drop the de (avisar que); both are accepted. Verbs with prepositions →
- 3ibas a llegar: ir a + infinitive in the imperfect = the future seen from the past. Narrative past system: pluperfect, past progressive, iba a →
Variations
- Me podrías haber avisado de que ibas a llegar tarde.
- Podrías haberme avisado que ibas a llegar tarde.
- Habrías podido avisarme de que ibas a llegar tarde.