Question 1

Why does the conditional empujaría translate to "probably pushed" instead of "would push"?

Accepted Answer

In Spanish, the conditional tense isn't just for hypothetical "would" scenarios. It is also used to express a guess, probability, or conjecture about the past. So instead of meaning "Someone would push it," it conveys "Someone probably pushed it" or "I wonder if someone pushed it."

Question 2

Shouldn't a completed action like "pushed" use the conditional perfect (habría empujado)?

Accepted Answer

Strictly speaking, yes. The simple conditional usually acts as the probable version of the imperfect tense (meaning "was pushing"). For a completed, single past action, the conditional perfect is the textbook choice. However, in casual spoken Spanish, you will often hear the simple conditional used to make a guess about a completed past action as well.

Question 3

Could lo in this sentence mean "him" instead of "it"?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. The word lo is the direct object pronoun for masculine nouns. Depending on the context of the conversation, this sentence could just as easily mean "Someone probably pushed him intentionally."

Question 4

How do we form the adverb intencionalmente?

Accepted Answer

Spanish adverbs are formed by adding the suffix -mente to the feminine singular form of an adjective. Because the adjective intencional ends in a consonant, its masculine and feminine forms are identical, so you simply attach -mente directly to the end of the word.

Alguien lo empujaría intencionalmente.

Breakdown of Alguien lo empujaría intencionalmente.

Questions & Answers about Alguien lo empujaría intencionalmente.

Learn Alguien lo empujaría intencionalmente and more in Spanish