Counterfactual - Irrealis

Introduction


Counterfactual with zou(den)

Counterfactual with past tense

Click here for self-correcting exercises on the counterfactual.

Introduction

In a counterfactual, the reverse of what is expressed by the main lexical verb is actually the case. To form a counterfactual sentence, there are two options: zou(den) + infinitive can be used, or the past tense of the lexical verb.

Remember that zou(den) is the past tense of the modal verb zullen, and that the form zou(den) is also used in polite requests and conditional sentences.

Counterfactual with zou(den)

To say the reverse of what is actually the case, in Dutch you can use zou(den) + infinitive:

Ik dacht dat jij de boodschappen zou doen.
I thought you would do the shopping.

Zouden Simone en Karin de boodschappen niet doen?
Were Simone and Karin not supposed to do the shopping?

In the first example, the speaker notes the fact that the shopping has not been done and indicates that the adressee (jij) was supposed to have done that. In the second example, the speaker also implies that the shopping has not been done, and implies that Karin and Simone were supposed to have done the shopping.

Note that zou here expresses uncertainty about a situation. This is also used to express gossip or hearsay, which is not counterfactual per se.

Victoria Beckham zou weer zwanger zijn.
literally: Victoria Beckham would be pregnant again. (i.e. Victoria Beckham is said to be pregnant again.)

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Counterfactual with past tense

Instead of the combination zou(den) + infinitive, the past tense can also be used to express a counterfactual:

Ik dacht dat jij de boodschappen deed.
I thought you would do the shopping.

Ging jij niet naar oma?
Were you not going to go to grandma's?

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