🕰️ Past of will 🤝 Polite or imagined 🤔 Probable or expected 🔁 Past habit ⏳ Unreal past

would

1.5

To show a past repeated action or habit

auxiliary
/wʊd/

: soler (en pasado)

Every evening, my grandfather would tell us stories by the fireplace.

Examples

When she was younger, she would walk to school with her friends every day.
On rainy days, she would read by the window.
On Sundays, we would visit the local market and buy fresh fruit.
Every summer, we would visit Grandma's house!
Every evening, my grandfather would tell us stories by the fireplace.
When she was younger, she would walk to school with her friends every day.
On Sundays, we would visit the local market and buy fresh fruit.

Synonyms

used to

vswould

1.3

To show that something was true or happened often in the past but is not true now

does not state that the past action is untrue now

Idioms

as luck would have it

Informal

7 5.4

Happens by chance in a lucky, helpful way

face that would stop a clock

Offensive

9.9

A face so ugly that it shocks people

Phrasal Verbs

would have

2.3

To show that something could have happened in the past but did not

would not

1.0

To refuse to do something in the past

would not

1.0

To say in the past that something will not happen later

Surface Forms

would infinitive

Etymology

The word would comes from old English wolde, the past of will, which could show habit or a repeated action. That is why would is often used in stories to talk about things someone regularly did in the past.