Guessing about the past: habrá sido, habría sido
C1Grammar path · Lesson 86 of 86 · Stage C1 · Advanced expression
Spanish often guesses by changing the verb tense instead of adding 'probably' or 'must'. To guess about something that has happened, use habrá + participle: Habrá sido el viento means 'It must have been the wind'. To guess about something that had happened before a past moment, step back once more to habría + participle: No me saludó; no me habría reconocido. This is also how you wonder aloud, as in ¿Qué le habrá pasado?. Do not mix it up with the simple future of probability será: será guesses about the present, while habrá sido guesses about the past.
Practise this lesson · 10 sentences
Form
habrá / habrán + participiohabría / habrían + participiono + habrá / habría + participio¿qué / quién / dónde + habrá / habría + participio?When to use it
Guessing about something that has just happened
Use habrá + participle when you see a result in front of you and guess its cause. It means 'must have...' or 'has probably...'.
Wondering about the past
In questions, habrá + participle expresses wondering rather than a real request for an answer, like 'I wonder who...'.
Guessing about what happened before a past moment
When the story is already in the past, use habría + participle to guess what had happened before it. It explains a past situation.
Signal words
Don't confuse it with
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between habrá sido and habría sido?
Habrá sido guesses about something that has happened, seen from now. Habría sido guesses about something that had happened before a past moment, when the whole story is already in the past.
When do I use será and when habrá sido?
Será guesses about the present: Será el cartero ('It is probably the mailman'). Habrá sido guesses about the past: Habrá sido el cartero ('It must have been the mailman').
Can sería also guess about the past?
Yes. The simple conditional guesses about a past moment or situation: Serían las diez ('It was probably around ten'). Habría sido guesses about something that had happened before that moment.
Does habría sido also mean 'would have been'?
Yes, in conditional sentences: Habría sido mejor llamar ('It would have been better to call'). The context tells you whether it is a hypothesis or a guess.
Can I use probablemente instead of habrá + participle?
Yes. Probablemente salió ya means almost the same as Ya habrá salido, but the habrá + participle form sounds more natural in speech.