Polite Requests With the Conditional

Level 3

Use the conditional to sound polite: Podería axudarme? (Could you help me?), Gustaríame un café (I would like a coffee).

How It Works

Asking someone to do something

  • Poderías pasarme o sal? (Could you pass me the salt?)
  • Podería repetilo, por favor? (Could you repeat it, please?) — formal
  • Sería posible cambiar a data? (Would it be possible to change the date?)

Would you mind...? Importar takes an indirect object: Importaríache...? (ti), Importaríalle...? (vostede). Use che, not te.

Saying what you would like. Gustaríame + noun or infinitive: Gustaríame reservar unha mesa. When someone else should act, use gustaríame que + past subjunctive: Gustaríame que viñeses.

Giving advice. Deberías + infinitive is softer than debes: Deberías durmir máis. See deber + infinitive.

Another polite form. Galician also softens requests with the imperfect: Quería un café. See the polite imperfect.

Pronoun position. In a statement, the pronoun attaches: Gustaríame, Importaríache. After non or a question word it goes first: Non me importaría, Que lle gustaría tomar?

Examples (6)

  1. Podería axudarme con esta maleta?

    Could you help me with this suitcase?

    Word by Word: Could-you help-me with this suitcase?

    Formal request to vostede.

  2. Gustaríame un café con leite, por favor.

    I would like a white coffee, please.

    Gustaríame softens quero.

  3. Importaríache pechar a porta?

    Would you mind closing the door?

    Importar takes the indirect pronoun che.

  4. Poderiades falar un pouco máis baixo?

    Could you all speak a little more quietly?

    Poderiades has no written accent.

  5. Deberías descansar un pouco.

    You should rest a little.

    Deberías gives gentle advice.

  6. Tería un momento para falar comigo?

    Would you have a moment to talk to me?

    A formal request using ter.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the pronoun first at the start of a statement.

    Me gustaría un café.
    Gustaríame un café.

    With nothing before the verb in a statement, the pronoun is attached after it.

  • Using the direct pronoun te with importar.

    Importaríate pechar a porta?
    Importaríache pechar a porta?

    Importar takes an indirect object, which for ti is che.

  • Using the shortened Spanish-style stem.

    Podrías axudarme?
    Poderías axudarme?

    The Galician conditional keeps the full infinitive: poderías.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Polite Requests With the ConditionalLevel 3

Learn This First

The conditional softens requests and advice.

Words in This Pattern

podergustarimportardeber