Wolałabym spotkać się po południu, nie rano.

I would prefer to meet in the afternoon, not in the morning.

Breakdown of Wolałabym spotkać się po południu, nie rano.

• ja: I
• nie: not
• rano: in the morning
• po południu: in the afternoon

Questions & Answers about Wolałabym spotkać się po południu, nie rano.

What does the form Wolałabym express grammatically?

It’s the conditional (“would”) of the verb woleć (to prefer), with feminine past stem and the clitic -bym for 1st person singular.

• Breakdown: wolał- (past stem) + -a (feminine) + bym (I would) → “I would prefer.”
• Compare: Wolę = “I prefer” (neutral, present). Wolałabym = “I would prefer” (softer/politer).

How would a man say it? What about plural forms?

• Male speaker: Wolałbym spotkać się…
• Female speaker: Wolałabym spotkać się…
• “We would prefer”: Wolelibyśmy (mixed or all-male group), Wolałybyśmy (all-female group).

Can I write it as two words: Wolała bym?

No. That’s a common error. Either:

• Write it together with the verb: Wolałabym.
• Or place the clitic after another first-stressed element: Ja bym wolała…, Najchętniej bym wolała…
  But never Wolała bym with a space in that position.

Where can the clitic bym go in this sentence?

Three natural options: