Polite Speculation and Hedging
In professional discussions, stating your opinion directly can sometimes sound too blunt. You can soften your statements by using the conditional form of reporting verbs. This acts as a conversational hedge, translating to English phrases like "I would say that..." or "I would assume that..."
To form these polite expressions, use the present conditional (kondicional sadašnji). This consists of the active past participle of your main verb—which must agree with the speaker's gender and number—followed by the conditional auxiliary biti (for the first-person singular, this is bih). You then connect the rest of the thought using the conjunction da.
| I would say that this is a risky strategy. | Rekao bih da je ovo rizična strategija. |
Notice how the participle changes based on the speaker. A masculine speaker says rekao bih or pretpostavio bih, while a feminine speaker uses rekla bih or pretpostavila bih.
| I would assume that their assessment is correct. | Pretpostavila bih da je njihova procjena točna. |
Suggesting and Daring to Speak
You can apply this same conditional structure to a variety of verbs to fit the nuance of the meeting. To make a tentative recommendation, use the conditional of verbs like predložiti or sugerirati (to suggest).
| I would suggest that we choose a long-term plan. | Predložio bih da izaberemo dugoročan plan. |
| I would suggest that we change this risky strategy. | Sugerirao bih da promijenimo ovu rizičnu strategiju. |
For an even softer or more deferential opinion, you can use the reflexive verb usuditi se (to dare) followed by an infinitive, such as reći (to say). Remember that the reflexive pronoun se is an enclitic and will typically sit right next to the auxiliary bih.
| I would dare to say that profitability is falling, although we are working hard. | Usudio bih se reći da isplativost pada, iako puno radimo. |
Drawing Tentative Conclusions
When wrapping up a point or making a final deduction without sounding overly definitive, you can use the conditional of zaključiti (to conclude).
| I would conclude that the short-term goal is good, however risky. | Zaključio bih da je kratkoročan cilj dobar, no rizičan. |
While you will most often use these phrases in the first person to soften your own opinions, the same polite speculation can be applied to others by changing the subject and the auxiliary verb (e.g., using bi for the third-person singular).
| He would conclude that the project is too risky. | On bi zaključio da je projekt previše rizičan. |
