- 'бы' может также сочетаться с инфинитивом: Посоветоваться бы ему с врачом. - или являться частью союза 'чтобы' в сложном предложении: Включила телевизор, чтобы посмотреть концерт.

You can use it like: "I would like to ..." in russian it means "Я бы хотел(а)......". So english "would"= russian "бы".

There are certain cases where "бы" is needed. 1) To refer to one's unused opportunities of the past. To talk about what could have happened (or we think could have) in the past if something else had happened. Если бы я только сказал ей "да"! - If I only had said "yes" to her! Если бы ты надел шапку, то не простудился бы. - If you had put on your hat, you woldn't have caught cold. In these cases we don't care if the condition is real. We use the same form for all past situations. 2) When a person is wondering about what to choose or what to do we use a question word +"бы". Что бы мне надеть? - What on earth shall I put on? Куда бы мне пойти сегодня вечером? - Where shall I go tonight? Hint: "что бы" is not to be mixed up with "чтобы". "чтобы" means same as "to" in "we need wings to fly" - "чтобы летать нужны крылья". 3) There is a structure "если бы не" + person. It means "If it was not for someone" Если бы не ты, мы бы пропали! - If was not for you we would have been lost! 4) "бы" is used when someone says he feels like something or someone to be somewhere (or he thinks they would fit there). Водочки бы! - It would be so nice to have some vodka now! Его бы в правительство. Он бы навёл порядок. - I wish he was in state government. He would put everything in order. Ему бы на митингах выступать! - Saying meeting speeches would suit him perfectly. 5) Question word + "бы" + noun or pronoun or proper noun + "ни" + verb. Means no matter + question word .... Что бы мы ни делали, он добъётся своего. - He will succeed in what he's up to, no matter what we do. Какую бы таблетку ты ни выбрал, я приму другую - I'll take whatever pill you don't choose. 6) "бы" is used to say something polite. Не могли бы вы оставить нас одних? - Would you mind leaving us alone Не хотели бы вы воспользоваться нашей скидкой. - Would you like to take advantage of our discount?

"бы" is used in the past in conditional sentances and serves as "if" As far as I know if is also used in conditional sentences in the past tense Ex. If I could come, I would help you. Если бы я мог прийти, я бы помог тебе.