‘El Condicional’
What is the Conditional Tense in Spanish?
This page is a complete guide for you to start learning about Conditional Tense in Spanish. This verb tense is an essential tool for expressing hypothetical situations, polite requests, and possibilities.
The conditional tense in Spanish is the equivalent to saying ‘would’ in English:
Yo iría (I would go)
Conditional tense in Spanish allows us to talk about actions or events that would happen under specific conditions. For example:
Si tuviera dinero, viajaría a Australia (If I had money I would travel to Australia)
¿Querrías venir conmigo? (Would you like to come with me?)
As you can see, the conditional form in Spanish has a common ending which is -ía (with small changes depending on the verb conjugation for each person).
How to form Spanish Conditional Tense
It is formed by adding to the infinitive form the following endings. In the case of conditional tense, the endings are the same for the different types of regular verbs (-ar, -er, -ir).
| Pronoun | Ending |
|---|---|
| Yo | -ía |
| Tú | -ías |
| Él/Ella/Usted | -ía |
| Nosotros/Nosotras | -íamos |
| Vosotros/Vosotras | -íais |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | -ían |
Examples
Below are some examples of conditional tense
Hablar
- Yo hablaría. (I would speak.)
- Tú hablarías. (You would speak.)
- Él hablaría. (He would speak.)
Comer
- Nosotras comeríamos. (We would eat.)
- Vosotros comeríais. (You all would eat.)
Vivir
- Ellas vivirían. (They would live.)
When to Use the Conditional Tense
The conditional tense is used in a variety of situations. Let’s look at the main cases:
a) Polite Requests
To make polite requests, the conditional is perfect. Instead of directly asking for something, you’re softening your tone.
Me gustaría un vaso de agua. (I would like a glass of water.)
¿Podrías ayudarme? (Could you help me?)
¿Podrías prestarme tu móvil? (Could you lend me your phone?)
Nos gustaría pedir un postre. (We would like to order dessert.)
b) Hypothetical Situations
To talk about something that would happen if a condition were met:
Si hiciera sol, iríamos al parque. (If it was sunny, we would go to the park.)
Viajarían si tuvieran dinero. (They would travel if they had time.)
Si ganara la lotería, compraría una casa. (If I won the lottery, I would buy a house.)
Iría a la fiesta si tuviera tiempo. (I would go to the party if I had time. )
c) Future in the Past
To describe what someone said they would do in the future (reported speech):
Dijeron que estarían aquí a las 8. (They said they would be here at 8.)
Martín dijo que haría la compra. (Martín said he would shop.)
Sara prometió que ayudaría. (Sara promised she would help.)
d) Speculation About the Past
To speculate about what might have happened:
¿Dónde estaría ella? (Where could she have been?)
Irregular Verbs in the Conditional Tense
Most verbs follow the regular formation rules, but there are a few irregular verbs with stem changes. The endings are still the same as regular verbs.
Below you will find a table with common Irregular Verbs
| Infinitive | Conditional Stem | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Tener (to have) | Tendr- | Yo tendría (I would have) |
| Salir (to leave) | Saldr- | Tú saldrías (You would leave) |
| Venir (to come) | Vendr- | Él vendría (He would come) |
| Poder (to be able) | Podr- | Nosotros podríamos (We could) |
| Hacer (to do/make) | Har- | Vosotros haríais (You would do) |
| Decir (to say) | Dir- | Ellos dirían (they would say) |
Mastering the Spanish Conditional Tense
1. Focus on Regular Verbs First: Learn faster by practicing first the regular verbs like hablar, comer and vivir. This way you can focus on getting the basics of how the endings work in regular verbs for conditional tense.
2. Memorize the Common Irregulars: The list of irregular verbs is manageable, and their stems are consistent across the conditional tense.
3.Practice with Real-Life Scenarios: Use the conditional tense in daily conversations, such as making polite requests or imagining hypothetical situations.
4. Combine with Si Clauses: The conditional tense is often paired with si (if) clauses to express hypothetical situations:
Si tuviera más tiempo, leería más libros. (If I had more time, I would read more books.)
5. Listen and Repeat: Listen to native speakers using the conditional tense in music, podcasts, or TV shows, and repeat their sentences to build confidence. One popular Youtube channel for listening to common conversations is Easy Spanish, which can help you recognize the specific use of conditional.
Visit out Conjugation menu for other verb tenses in Spanish.