Past hypothetical conditionals with "de haber"
Just as de + infinitive can replace a basic si (if) clause for general conditions, de haber + past participle can replace a past hypothetical condition. Use it to talk about things that didn't happen, like a missed opportunity in a chess game.
This construction translates to "If [someone] had [done something]". The result clause typically uses the conditional perfect (habría + past participle) to state what would have happened.
| If you had sacrificed the pawn, your move would have been better. | De haber sacrificado el peón, tu jugada habría sido mejor. |
Because haber is an infinitive, it doesn't change form to match a specific person. The subject is usually understood from context or from the main clause.
| If he had moved the bishop to that diagonal, he would have won. | De haber movido el alfil a esa diagonal, él habría ganado. |
| If we had sacrificed the queen, the championship would have been ours. | De haber sacrificado la reina, el campeonato habría sido nuestro. |
| If we had won this round, we would have finished the tournament undefeated. | De haber ganado esta ronda, habríamos terminado el torneo invictos. |
| If he had remembered the opening, he would have had a decisive advantage. | De haber recordado la apertura, él habría tenido una ventaja decisiva. |
| If I had anticipated his opening, I would have avoided the checkmate. | De haber anticipado su apertura, habría evitado el jaque mate. |
Your questions are stored by us to improve Elon.io