Modern Spanish Grammar: A Practical Guide

EXPRESSING POSSIBILITY AND PROBABILITY 48.1Ya se han enterado.They have found out already.Ya se habrán enterado.They must have found out already.Has oído lo que pasó.You’ve heard what happened.Habrás oído lo que pasó.You must have heard what happened.The first sentence in each pair indicates certainty while the second expressesprobability. 17.6 (p. 77); 50 (p. 296)48.1.12ConditionalProbability with regard to the past is sometimes expressed with the conditional.Compare these sentences, which illustrate the contrast between certainty andprobability:En aquel tiempo yo tenía doce años.At that time I was twelve.En aquel tiempo yo tendría doce años.At that time I must have been twelve.Eran las tres cuando se fueron de aquí.It was three o’clock when they left here.Serían las tres cuando se fueron de aquí.It must have been three o’clock when they left here. 17.7 (p. 77); 50 (p. 296)48.1.13Igual, lo mismo, ‘perhaps’, ‘maybe’These two expressions, which can be followed by any tense which is appropriate for thecontext, are used in Spain to express remote possibility and both correspond to aninformal, colloquial usage.¿Has visto a José? – No, igual se ha ido al pueblo.Have you seen José? – No, perhaps he’s gone to his village.Igual han perdido el tren.They may have missed the train.Lo mismo te pide que te cases con él.Maybe he’ll ask you to marry him.Lo mismo nos habrían echado.Maybe they would have thrown us out. 28818.3.3 (p. 92)