Conditional Tense
The conditional tense describes what would happen, softens requests, and expresses polite intentions. It attaches endings to the infinitive and sometimes uses irregular stems.
📚Audio Example
Hoy estudiaría horas si la biblioteca estuviera tranquila.
Usage
Use the conditional to show what would occur, to make polite requests, and to speculate about past actions when paired with the perfect tense.
🖥️Audio Example
Terminaría el informe ahora, pero mi portátil necesita batería.
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Formation
Attach the conditional endings to the infinitive for regular verbs; the endings are the same for -ar, -er, and -ir and appear as -ía, -ías, etc.
☕Audio Example
Revisaría el borrador después de tomar un café.
| Spanish Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|
| yo hablaría | I would speak |
| tú hablarías | you would speak |
| él/ella/usted hablaría | he/she/you (formal) would speak |
| nosotros/nosotras hablaríamos | we would speak |
| vosotros/vosotras hablaríais | you all would speak |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes hablarían | they/you all (formal) would speak |
| Spanish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| ☁️ Yo hablaría si tú escucharas. | I would speak if you listened. |
| ☁️ Ella comería para probar antes de decidir. | She would eat to try before deciding. |
| ☁️ Nosotros viviríamos cerca para compartir esfuerzos. | We would live nearby to share efforts. |
Examples
| Spanish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 📨 Yo hablaría con el organizador antes de confirmar. | I would speak with the organizer before confirming. |
| 🍽️ Ella comería ahora para no llegar tarde al taller. | She would eat now to not be late to the workshop. |
| 🏠 Ellos vivirían en el lugar del evento para ayudar con la preparación. | They would live at the event location to help with preparation. |
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Irregular Verbs
Some high‑frequency verbs change their stem in the conditional; these must be memorized because they affect meaning.
⏳Audio Example
Podría terminar esta sección en veinte minutos.
| Spanish Word(s) | Root | English Word(s) |
|---|---|---|
| tener | tendr- | to have |
| venir | vendr- | to come |
| decir | dir- | to say |
| poder | podr- | to be able to |
| poner | pondr- | to put/place |
| salir | saldr- | to leave/go out |
| hacer | har- | to do/make |
| haber | habr- | to have (aux.) |
| saber | sabr- | to know |
| querer | querr- | to want |
| Spanish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 📧 Diría al grupo la hora exacta. | I would tell the group the exact time. |
| 🛠️ Vendrían antes para montar las mesas. | They would come early to set up the tables. |
| 🚚 Haría varias corridas de materiales si hiciera falta. | I would make several runs of materials if necessary. |
| 🔧 Podríamos arreglar el sonido con tiempo. | We could fix the sound ahead of time. |
| 🙏 Quisiera ayudar en la recepción. | I would like to help at the reception. |
| ❗ Sabrían cambiar el plan si llueve. | They would know how to change the plan if it rains. |
| 🗳️ Pondrían más sillas en filas extra. | They would put more chairs in extra rows. |
| 🔍 Haría una última revisión antes de empezar. | I would do a final check before starting. |
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| Spanish Word(s) | Spanish Root | English Word(s) |
|---|---|---|
| tener | tendr- | to have |
| venir | vendr- | to come |
| decir | dir- | to say |
| poder | podr- | to be able to |
| poner | pondr- | to put/place |
| salir | saldr- | to leave/go out |
| hacer | har- | to do/make |
| haber | habr- | to have (aux.) |
| saber | sabr- | to know |
| querer | querr- | to want |
Si Clauses
The conditional tense often appears as the result of si clauses. Use si + imperfecto de subjuntivo for unlikely or contrary‑to‑fact situations, si + presente for real possibilities, and pair with condicional perfecto for past hypotheticals.
🧾Audio Example
Si tuviera el esquema listo, escribiría más rápido.
| Spanish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| ☔ Si lloviera, el evento se haría bajo carpa. | If it rained, the event would be held under a tent. |
| 🕒 Si llegaran tarde, se pospondría la primera charla. | If they arrived late, the first talk would be postponed. |
| 📢 Si hubiera cambio de lugar, se avisaría por megáfono. | If there were a change of location, it would be announced by loudspeaker. |
| ✅ Si todo estuviera listo, comenzaríamos a tiempo. | If everything were ready, we would start on time. |
| 🍪 Si sobrase comida, se repartiría entre los asistentes. | If there were leftover food, it would be distributed among the attendees. |
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Useful Expressions
The conditional pairs well with para + time expressions and softeners like por favor when making requests.
🙏Audio Example
Quisiera pedir una extensión breve, por favor.
Examples
| Spanish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 📝 Quisiera inscribirme en la lista de espera. | I would like to sign up on the waiting list. |
| 💬 Podrías decirme a qué hora empieza la conferencia. | Could you tell me what time the conference starts. |
| 📧 Me gustaría recibir el programa por correo. | I would like to receive the schedule by email. |
| 🛎️ Deberían avisar si hay cambio de horario. | They should notify if there is a schedule change. |
| 🎟️ Quisiera comprar un boleto extra, por favor. | I would like to buy an extra ticket, please. |
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| Spanish Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| para mañana | for tomorrow |
| para la próxima semana | for next week |
| por favor | please |
| me gustaría | I would like |
| ¿podrías...? | could you...? |
Summary
The conditional tense adds endings to the infinitive to express what would happen, make polite requests, and soften intentions.
🎒Audio Example
Hoy terminaría todo si apago el móvil y me quedo en la biblioteca.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025