Phrase · 💭 Hypotheses in every register
Si llegas cinco minutos antes, lo ves.
If you'd arrived five minutes earlier, you'd have seen him.
C2regret, hypothesescolloquialAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Siconjunctionifllegas1verbyou'd arrived (lit. you arrive)llegar · present · 2nd sing.cincodeterminerfiveminutosnounminutesminuto · masc. · pl.antesadverbearlier,lo3object pronounhimél · 3rd sing. · direct objectves2verbyou'd have seen (lit. you see)ver · present · 2nd sing..
- Si → llegas: si + present: here a past counterfactual
- cinco → antes: cinco minutos antes: how much earlier
- lo → ves: lo: the person missed
Word for word: “If you arrive five minutes before, you see him.”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1Colloquial counterfactual: the present in both clauses can refer to the past. Context shows it is too late. The extended conditional system: de + infinitive, hubiera and colloquial patterns →
- 2In writing use si hubieras llegado…, lo habrías visto; the present version belongs to speech. The extended conditional system: de + infinitive, hubiera and colloquial patterns →
- 3lo = him, the person who just left. Spain may say le ves (leísmo).
Variations
- Si hubieras llegado cinco minutos antes, lo habrías visto.
- Si llegas cinco minutos antes, lo alcanzas.
- Cinco minutos antes y lo ves.