Якби я втратив блокнот, я б не забув пароль.

If I lost my notebook, I would not forget the password.

Breakdown of Якби я втратив блокнот, я б не забув пароль.

• я: I
• якби: if
• б: would
• пароль: the password
• блокнот: the notebook
• втратити: to lose
• не: not
• забути: to forget

Questions & Answers about Якби я втратив блокнот, я б не забув пароль.

Why is the sentence introduced with якби instead of using a word like якщо?

Якби is used to set up a hypothetical or counterfactual condition—one that did not actually occur. While якщо can be used for “if” in situations with a real possibility, якби emphasizes that the condition is imagined or contrary to fact.

Why are the verbs втратив and забув in the past tense even though the sentence is talking about a hypothetical situation?

In Ukrainian, conditional sentences with unreal or counterfactual conditions typically use the past tense to indicate that the action did not actually happen. Even though the English translation might use “would have” or “wouldn’t have,” the Ukrainian form employs the past tense to underline the hypothetical nature of the statement.

What is the purpose of the particle б in the main clause, as seen in я б не забув пароль?

The particle б (a shortened form of би) functions like the English word “would” to form the conditional mood. It signals that the outcome is dependent on the condition in the якби clause—i.e., it shows that the result “not having forgotten the password” would occur only if the condition (losing the notebook) were met.

Why is the negation placed as не забув rather than, say, a different word order or using another negative form?

In Ukrainian, the standard word order for negation is to place the negative particle не directly before the verb. Thus, не забув clearly indicates “did not remember” or, in this conditional context, “would not have forgotten.” The placement is conventional and helps convey the intended meaning in a straightforward manner.

How does the structure of this Ukrainian conditional sentence compare to English conditionals?

Both Ukrainian and English conditionals consist of two parts: an if-clause and a result clause. However, Ukrainian expresses the counterfactual condition by using the past tense in both clauses together with the particle б in the result clause. In contrast, English uses auxiliary verbs such as would or would have to indicate the conditional mood. This difference in structure highlights how Ukrainian relies on verb forms and particles to convey hypothetical scenarios.