B2 · Subjunctive · Part 4 of 4
Si y las condicionales
Conditional sentences come in three shapes, and each one locks its two halves together. Learn them as pairs rather than as separate tenses and they stop being a decision. The single rule that prevents most errors is short: the conditional never follows si, and neither does the present subjunctive.
The three shapes
| Type | Si clause | Result clause |
|---|---|---|
| Real / likely | si + presente | presente or futuro |
| Unreal now | si + imperfecto de subjuntivo | condicional |
| Unreal in the past | si + pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo | condicional compuesto |
Real
- Si llueve, no salimos.If it rains, we do not go out.
- Si estudias, aprobarás.If you study, you will pass.
Unreal now
Something contrary to the current facts, or unlikely.
- Si tuviera tiempo, iría contigo.If I had time, I would go with you.
- Si fuera rico, viviría en la playa.If I were rich, I would live at the beach.
Unreal in the past
Regret and hindsight. The one that is worth practising out loud until it is automatic.
- Si hubiera salido antes, no habría perdido el bus.If I had left earlier, I would not have missed the bus.
Why si never takes the subjunctive in the present
Si plus the present subjunctive does not exist in Spanish. Si llueve is correct; si llueva is not. The subjunctive only appears in the unreal types, and always in the past forms. This one fact removes a large share of the errors learners make with conditions.
- Si llueve, no salimos.If it rains, we do not go out.
- Si lloviera, no saldríamos.If it rained, we would not go out.
Mixing the last two
A past cause can have a present consequence, and Spanish mixes the types freely to say so.
- Si hubiera estudiado, ahora tendría el trabajo.If I had studied, I would have the job now.
Other ways to say if
- en caso de que + subjuntivo — in case
- a menos que + subjuntivo — unless
- siempre que + subjuntivo — as long as
- de haberlo sabido — had I known, formal
Mistakes to avoid
Si tendría tiempo, iría.
Si tuviera tiempo, iría.
The conditional never goes after si.
Si yo sería tú...
Si yo fuera tú...
Same rule, and the most common version of it.
Si llueva, no salimos.
Si llueve, no salimos.
Si plus the present subjunctive does not exist.
Try it
Si ___ tiempo, iría contigo.
Si llueve, no ___.
Si yo ___ tú, aceptaría el trabajo.
Si hubiera salido antes, no ___ el bus.
Si ___ estudiado, ahora tendría el trabajo.