Spanish grammar · Intermediate
Spanish Conditional Tense: Conjugation, Uses, and Examples
The Spanish conditional (condicional simple) expresses what would happen, hypotheticals, polite requests, conjecture about the past. Built from the full infinitive + endings: -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían. Same twelve irregular stems as the future.
Hablaría con él si pudiera.
I would speak with him if I could.
What it is
The Spanish conditional (condicional simple) expresses what would happen, hypotheticals, polite requests, past-future, and conjecture about the past. Built from the full infinitive plus endings: -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían. The same twelve irregular stems as the future tense apply.
In Hablaría con él si pudiera (I'd speak with him if I could), hablaría = hablar + ía. The conditional pairs naturally with imperfect subjunctive in if-clauses.
How to spot it
Look for verbs ending in -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían. All endings carry an accent on the í.
- Me gustaría un café. — I would like a coffee. (polite)
- Iríamos contigo. — We would go with you.
- Tendría unos cuarenta años. — He was probably around forty. (past conjecture)
Conditional ≈ would in English. But Spanish also uses it for polite requests where English uses could / would.
Spanish Conditional Tense Quick Reference
Spanish conditional endings, same for -ar / -er / -ir
| Person | Hablar | Comer | Vivir |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablaría | comería | viviría |
| tú | hablarías | comerías | vivirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | hablaría | comería | viviría |
| nosotros | hablaríamos | comeríamos | viviríamos |
| vosotros | hablaríais | comeríais | viviríais |
| ellos/Uds. | hablarían | comerían | vivirían |
Common Spanish Conditional Tense Examples in Spanish
Conditional covers hypotheticals, politeness, and past conjecture:
Hypotheticals (Si + Imperfect Subjunctive)
- Si tuviera tiempo, viajaría más.
- If I had time, I'd travel more.
- Iría contigo si pudiera.
- I'd go with you if I could.
- Compraría una casa si tuviera dinero.
- I'd buy a house if I had money.
Conditional pairs with imperfect subjunctive in if-clauses. Si + IMP SUBJ, COND.
Polite Requests / Wishes
- Me gustaría un café.
- I'd like a coffee. (polite)
- ¿Podrías ayudarme?
- Could you help me?
- Querría hablar contigo.
- I would like to talk with you.
Conditional is the polite form of want / can in Spanish. More refined than direct present tense.
Past-Future (Reported Speech)
- Dijo que vendría mañana.
- He said he would come tomorrow.
- Pensé que llegarías tarde.
- I thought you would arrive late.
Conditional represents the future from a past perspective. Dijo que vendría = the future, as seen from the past.
Conjecture About the Past
- Sería tarde cuando llegó.
- It must have been late when he arrived.
- Tendría unos veinte años.
- He was probably around twenty.
Conditional expresses probability about the past, parallel to future for present conjecture.
How to Form the Spanish Conditional Tense
Regular Conditional, Infinitive + Endings
Take the full infinitive (hablar, comer, vivir) and add: -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían. Same endings for all three verb types.
Hablaría, hablarías, hablaría, hablaríamos, hablaríais, hablarían.
Endings stay constant; the full infinitive is the stem.
All forms carry the accent on the í (-ía). All endings parallel the imperfect of -er / -ir verbs (comía, vivía), same -ía family.
Same Twelve Irregular Stems as Future
The twelve irregular future stems also apply to the conditional: tendr-, pondr-, vendr-, saldr-, podr-, querr-, sabr-, habr-, cabr-, har-, dir-.
Tendría, tendrías. Pondría, pondrías. Diría, dirías. Haría, harías.
Same stems as future; conditional endings instead.
If you know the future, you know the conditional, just swap -é endings for -ía endings.
Si + Imperfect Subjunctive Pairs With Conditional
For hypothetical if-clauses, Spanish uses si + imperfect subjunctive in the if-clause + conditional in the result clause.
Si tuviera dinero, compraría una casa.
If I had money, I'd buy a house.
Structure: Si + imperfect subjunctive (tuviera) + conditional (compraría). The classic hypothetical pattern.
Conditional for Politeness
Spanish conditional softens requests and statements. Me gustaría is more polite than Quiero (I want).
Me gustaría un café. ¿Podrías ayudarme? Tendría que pensarlo.
I'd like a coffee. Could you help me? I'd have to think about it.
Use conditional whenever you want to sound polite or less direct. Standard in service contexts (restaurants, requests).
Common Mistakes with Spanish Conditional Tense
Incorrect: Si tendría tiempo, viajaría. — If I had time, I'd travel. (wrong, si never takes conditional)
Correct: Si tuviera tiempo, viajaría. — If I had time, I'd travel.
After si in hypotheticals, use imperfect subjunctive (tuviera), not conditional. The conditional goes in the result clause only.
Incorrect: Yo hablaria con él. — I would speak with him. (wrong, missing accent)
Correct: Yo hablaría con él. — I would speak with him.
All conditional endings carry an accent on the í (-ía, -ías, -ían). Without it, the meaning changes (preterite vs. conditional in some forms).
Incorrect: Tener future and conditional confusion: Yo teneré / teneria. — I'll have / I would have.
Correct: Tendré / Tendría. — I'll have / I would have.
Tener uses tendr- in both future and conditional. Drop the e of tener and insert d.
Conditional Forms, Quick Reference
Same stem as future, different endings. Twelve irregular stems carry over.
Regular Conditional (Hablar)
Full infinitive + conditional endings.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Same endings for comer / vivir, comería, viviría, etc.
Irregular -dr- (Tener)
Tener → tendr- + conditional endings.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Same family: pondría, vendría, saldría, podría.
Shortened Stem (Hacer)
Hacer → har- + conditional endings.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Decir follows: diría, dirías, diría.
Politeness (Gustar)
Me gustaría = the polite version of Quiero.
| (a mí) me |
| (a ti) te |
| (a él/ella) le |
| (a nosotros) nos |
| (a vosotros) os |
| (a ellos) les |
Standard for polite requests. Me gustaría un café = I'd like a coffee.
Si + Imperfect Subjunctive → Conditional
Hypothetical Pattern
For if-clauses that describe hypothetical (unlikely or untrue) situations, Spanish uses: Si + imperfect subjunctive, conditional.
- Si tuviera dinero, compraría una casa.
- If I had money, I would buy a house.
- Si fuera tú, no lo haría.
- If I were you, I wouldn't do it.
Order can flip: Compraría una casa si tuviera dinero. The conditional stays in the result clause regardless.
Politeness with Conditional
Conditional softens commands, requests, and statements of want.
- Me gustaría... (vs. Quiero...)
- I'd like... (more polite than I want)
- ¿Podrías ayudarme? (vs. ¿Puedes...?)
- Could you help me? (vs. Can you help me?)
- Deberías estudiar más.
- You should study more. (softer than tienes que)
Standard for service contexts, requests, advice. Conditional = more refined.
Spanish Conditional Tense FAQs
- What is the Spanish conditional tense?
- The Spanish conditional (condicional simple) expresses what would happen, hypotheticals, polite requests, and conjecture about the past. Built from the full infinitive + endings -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían.
- How do you form the conditional in Spanish?
- Take the full infinitive and add: -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían. Same endings for -ar / -er / -ir. All forms carry an accent on the í. Same twelve irregular stems as the future tense apply.
- What's the difference between Spanish conditional and future?
- Future predicts what will happen (Hablaré = I'll speak). Conditional describes what would happen, hypotheticals, polite requests, or past-from-past perspective (Hablaría = I would speak). Both use the same stems; only endings differ.
- When do I use conditional with si?
- Use si + imperfect subjunctive + conditional for hypotheticals: Si tuviera dinero, compraría una casa (If I had money, I'd buy a house). NEVER si + conditional, that's an English-influenced error.
- How can I master the Spanish conditional?
- Practice the if-clause pattern (si + imperfect subjunctive + conditional) until it's automatic. Then absorb native speech: Spanish speakers use conditional constantly for politeness. Parrot's daily videos feature it in service interactions and hypotheticals.