B1 · Verbs
El condicional
If you know the future tense you already know this one: the same stems, with the endings of the imperfecto of -er verbs. The name is misleading, because only one of its four jobs is really about conditions. The other three — politeness, advice, and the future seen from the past — are what you will use every day.
The endings
| hablar | tener | |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hablaría | tendría |
| tú | hablarías | tendrías |
| él / ella | hablaría | tendría |
| nosotros | hablaríamos | tendríamos |
| ellos | hablarían | tendrían |
Four jobs
- Politeness: ¿Podría ayudarme?
- Hypothesis: Yo no haría eso
- Advice: Yo que tú, hablaría con ella
- Future seen from the past: Dijo que vendría
With si
The conditional goes in the result half, never after si itself.
- Si tuviera tiempo, iría contigo.If I had time, I would go with you.
- Iría contigo si tuviera tiempo.I would go with you if I had time. · same thing
It is not only about conditions
The name is misleading. Three of its four jobs have nothing to do with if. Politeness and advice are what you will use daily.
- ¿Te importaría cerrar la puerta?Would you mind closing the door?
- Deberías descansar.You should rest.
- Yo que tú, no lo haría.If I were you, I would not do it.
Guessing about the past
Just as the future guesses about the present, the conditional guesses about the past. Serían las diez means it must have been about ten.
- Serían las diez cuando llegó.It must have been about ten when he arrived.
- Tendría unos veinte años.He must have been about twenty.
Softening with the imperfect subjunctive instead
Quisiera and pudiera do the same softening job as querría and podría, and are just as common. Both are correct.
- Querría un café. / Quisiera un café.I would like a coffee.
Mistakes to avoid
Si tendría dinero, viajaría.
Si tuviera dinero, viajaría.
Never the conditional after si.
Podría usted que me ayude.
¿Podría ayudarme?
The conditional is followed by an infinitive here, not by que.
Me gustaría que vienes.
Me gustaría que vinieras.
The conditional in the first clause pulls the imperfect subjunctive.
Try it
¿___ ayudarme, por favor?
Dijo que ___ al día siguiente.
Yo que tú, ___ con ella.
___ las diez cuando llegó.
Yo que tú, no ___ nada.