Αν είχα χρόνο, θα πήγαινα ξανά στο εστιατόριο.

to go

Breakdown of Αν είχα χρόνο, θα πήγαινα ξανά στο εστιατόριο.

• έχω: to have
• σε: to
• θα: will

Questions & Answers about Αν είχα χρόνο, θα πήγαινα ξανά στο εστιατόριο.

What kind of conditional is this?

It’s the hypothetical/unreal conditional (often called the “second conditional” in EFL terms). Greek marks this with:

• If-clause: αν + past tense (usually the imperfect for states)
• Main clause: θα + past tense (imperfect) = “would …” Example pair:
• Αν έχω χρόνο, θα πάω ξανά στο εστιατόριο. = If I have time, I will go again. (real)
• Αν είχα χρόνο, θα πήγαινα ξανά στο εστιατόριο. = If I had time, I would go again. (hypothetical)

Why is the verb in the if-clause past (είχα) if we’re talking about now/the future?

Greek uses past forms in the if-clause to signal unreality or distance from reality. Here, είχα (imperfect “I had”) doesn’t refer to past time; it marks the condition as contrary to fact in the present/future: “If I had (but I don’t) …”

What exactly does θα mean here? I thought θα = “will.”

Θα is a modal particle that combines with different verb forms:

• θα + perfective non-past: θα πάω = I will go (simple future)
• θα + imperfective non-past: θα πηγαίνω = I will be going / I’ll go regularly (future continuous/habitual)
• θα + imperfect (past): θα πήγαινα = I would go (conditional)
• θα + aorist (past): Θα πήγα σε λάθος διεύθυνση. = I must have gone to the wrong address. (probability about the past, not a conditional)

Can I say “Αν θα είχα χρόνο …”?