Is there a way to express "would be"?


For example, if I wanted to say:

"I thought it would be difficult." (Didn't attempt it, thought it seemed
difficult)

Is there a way to translate this directly to japanese or am I limited to:

「難しいと思った」(Attempted it and thought it was difficult)?




Yes, we'd normally translate it as:

> 難しい **だろう** と思った。 I thought it would be difficult.

Compare:

> 難しいと思った。 I thought it was difficult.  
>  難しいと思う。 I think it is difficult.  
>  難しいだろうと思う。 I think it will be difficult.

> "I thought it seemed difficult."

We'd usually translate it as 「難し **そうだ** と思った。」 Compare:

> 難しそうだ。 It seems difficult.  
>  難しそうだと思う。 I think it seems difficult.




Yes, we'd normally translate it as:

> 難しい **だろう** と思った。 I thought it would be difficult.

Compare:

> 難しいと思った。 I thought it was difficult.  
>  難しいと思う。 I think it is difficult.  
>  難しいだろうと思う。 I think it will be difficult.

> "I thought it seemed difficult."

We'd usually translate it as 「難し **そうだ** と思った。」 Compare:

> 難しそうだ。 It seems difficult.  
>  難しそうだと思う。 I think it seems difficult.

