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La fiesta estaría animada y los bocadillos muy buenos.

La fiesta estaría animada y los bocadillos muy buenos.
The party must have been lively and the snacks very good.
From Lesson 180:Probability in the past (estaría, sería...)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about La fiesta estaría animada y los bocadillos muy buenos.

Why is estaría translated as "must have been" instead of "would be"?
In Spanish, the conditional tense (like estaría) isn't just used for "would". It is also used to make a guess, assumption, or express probability about the past. So, while estaría can mean "would be", in this context it means "probably was" or "must have been".
Where is the verb for the second part of the sentence about the snacks?
The verb is implied! Instead of repeating the verb and saying y los bocadillos estarían muy buenos, Spanish often drops the second verb when it's the exact same one used in the first part of the sentence. English does this too, which is why the translation says "and the snacks very good".
Why do we use estar (estaría) here instead of ser (sería)?
We use estar here because we are describing the mood of an event and the taste of food. A party being animada describes its temporary atmosphere. For food, using estar with bueno means it tasted good in that specific instance, whereas ser bueno would usually mean the food is healthy or good for you.
Does animada just mean "animated"?
It comes from the same root, but when describing a party, gathering, or conversation, animada translates better to "lively", "fun", or "upbeat". It describes an atmosphere full of energy.

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