-ía/-ías/-ía/-íamos/-íais/-ían (condicional)
Conditional Tense
The conditional tense, often translated as 'would' + verb, is used to talk about what would happen under certain circumstances, to make polite requests, or to offer advice.
How It Works
The conditional tense (el condicional o el futuro hipotético) is a relatively simple tense to conjugate but has several important uses.
1. Formation (Regular Verbs)
You attach the conditional endings directly to the infinitive form of the verb. The endings are the same as the imperfect endings for -er and -ir verbs.
Verb: hablar (to speak)
- yo hablaría
- tú hablarías
- él/ella/usted hablaría
- nosotros/as hablaríamos
- vosotros/as hablaríais
- ellos/ellas/ustedes hablarían
2. Main Uses
- Hypothetical Situations: To talk about what you would do. This is often paired with an 'if' clause using the imperfect subjunctive.
Ejemplo: Si tuviera más dinero, viajaría por todo el mundo. (If I had more money, I would travel all over the world.)
See unreal 'si' clauses for more. - Polite Requests and Suggestions: It can soften a request or suggestion. Tone, wording and the relationship also affect politeness.
Ejemplo: ¿Podrías cerrar la puerta, por favor? (Could you close the door, please?)
Ejemplo: Yo que tú, estudiaría más para el examen. (If I were you, I would study more for the exam.) - Speculation or Probability about the Past: To express a guess or wonder about a past event.
Ejemplo: ¿Qué hora sería cuando llamaron? (I wonder what time it was when they called? / What time could it have been...?) - Future from a Past Perspective (Reported Speech): To say what 'would' happen from a point of view in the past.
Ejemplo: Ella dijo que vendría a la fiesta. (She said that she would come to the party.)
3. Irregular Verbs
The conditional tense has the same irregular stems as the future tense. You add the conditional endings to these special stems.
- decir → dir- (diría)
- hacer → har- (haría)
- poder → podr- (podría)
- querer → querr- (querría)
- saber → sabr- (sabría)
- tener → tendr- (tendría)
- venir → vendr- (vendría)
For a full list, see irregular future and conditional stems.
A Conversational Alternative
Si pudiera, viajaría a Japón is the conditional model practiced here. Conversational Spanish also uses the indicative imperfect in the result clause, as in Si pudiera, viajaba a Japón. It is a documented modal use, not simply a failed conjugation of the conditional. In reported speech, the later event is measured from the past reporting time and need not still be in the future now.
Examples (5)
- Si yo fuera rico, compraría una casa en la playa.
If I were rich, I would buy a house on the beach.
Word by Word: If I were rich, I would buy a house on the beach.
- ¿Podrías ayudarme con esta caja, por favor?
Could you help me with this box, please?
Word by Word: Could you help me with this box, please?
Podrías presents the request less directly; por favor also helps frame it politely. The overall effect still depends on tone and context.
- Yo en tu lugar, no diría nada.
If I were in your place, I wouldn't say anything.
Word by Word: I in your place, not would say anything.
'Diría' is the irregular conditional form of 'decir'.
- Serían las diez de la noche cuando él llegó.
It was probably about ten at night when he arrived.
Word by Word: It would be the ten of the night when he arrived.
- Nos dijeron que el tren llegaría tarde.
They told us that the train would arrive late.
Word by Word: To us they told that the train would arrive late.
Common Mistakes
Using the regular infinitive stem for an irregular conditional verb.
Si tuviera tiempo, te hacería un pastel.Si tuviera tiempo, te haría un pastel.Verbs like 'hacer', 'decir', 'tener', etc., have irregular stems in the conditional. For 'hacer', the stem is 'har-', so the correct form is 'haría'.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- si + Imperfect Subjunctive + ConditionalUnreal Si Clauses (Present)
This pattern shows the full structure of hypothetical 'if' clauses that are frequently paired with the conditional tense to express what someone would do.
Level 4 - diré/haré/podré/pondré/querré/sabré/saldré/tendré/vendréIrregular Future Stems
This pattern lists the specific irregular stems used in the conditional. They are the same irregular stems as the future tense, which is a helpful memory aid.
Level 3 - -aré/-arás/-ará/-aremos/-aréis/-aránFuture Tense -AR Verbs
The conditional and future tenses are closely related. They are both formed from the infinitive, and crucially, they share the exact same set of irregular stems (e.g., 'hacer' becomes 'har-' for both 'haré' and 'haría').
Level 3 - -ía/-ías/-ía/-íamos/-íais/-ían (imperfecto)Imperfect -ER/-IR Verbs
The endings for the conditional are identical to the imperfect endings for -er and -ir verbs. This can cause confusion. The key difference is that the conditional adds them to the full infinitive, while the imperfect adds them to the verb stem.
Level 2 - Conditional for Politeness
This explains a specific, very common use of the conditional tense. Verbs like 'poder', 'gustar', and 'deber' are often used in the conditional to make requests, express wishes, and give advice more politely.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice -ía/-ías/-ía/-íamos/-íais/-ían (condicional) in Bubblegum
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