Conditional Tense Notes

The Conditional Tense

Frequently, the conditional tense is used to express probability, possibility, wonder, or conjecture of past actions. It is usually translated as "would," "could," "must have," or "probably."

Conjugation

To conjugate regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs in the conditional tense, add the following endings to the infinitive:

• -ar, -er, -ir + ía, ías, ía, íamos, íais, ían

Example:

• comprar (to buy) → compraría, comprarías, compraría, compraríamos, compraríais, comprarían
• resolver (to resolve) → resolvería, resolverías, resolvería, resolveríamos, resolveríais, resolverían
• vivir (to live) → viviría, vivirías, viviría, viviríamos, viviríais, vivirían

Example sentences:

• Angélica compraría una casa: Angelica would buy a home.
• Ella resolvería todas las deudas: She would resolve all of her debt.

Irregular Verbs

The same verbs that are irregular in the future tense are also irregular in the conditional tense.

Specific Uses of the Conditional

• To express speculation about the past:
  • Aquél día correrían más de veinticinco kilómetros. (That day they must have run more than 25 kilometers.)
• To express the future from the perspective of the past:
  • Yo sabía que abrirían la tienda a las siete. (I knew that they would open the store at seven o'clock.)
• To express hypothetical actions or events which may or may not occur:
  • Sería interesante estudiar chino. (It would be interesting to study Chinese.)
• To indicate what would happen were it not for some certain specific circumstance:
  • Yo viajaría pero no tengo dinero. (I would travel but I don't have money.)
• For polite use to soften requests:
  • Por favor, ¿podría decirme a qué hora abre la gasolinera? (Could you please tell me what time the gas station opens?)
• To ask for advice:
  • ¿Cuál compraría Ud.? (Which one would you buy?)
• For reported speech:
  • Juan dijo que terminaría el trabajo. (Juan said that he would finish the work.)
• To express what would be done in a particular situation:
  • ¿Hablarías inglés en España? (Would you speak English in Spain?)
  • No. Hablaría español. (No. I would speak Spanish.)
• To express an action which is contrary to fact:
  • Si yo tuviera tiempo, iría al cine esta noche. (If I had time, I would go to the movies tonight.)
    • Note: This example uses the imperfect subjunctive (tuviera).

Contrasting Uses of Future and Conditional

• Conditional for conjecture and probability regarding a past action:
  • ¿Qué hora sería? (What time could it have been?)
  • Serían las cinco. (It was probably five o'clock.)
• Future tense for conjecture or probability about the present:
  • ¿Qué hora será? (What time can it be?)
  • Serán las cinco. (It is probably five o'clock.)
• Reported speech:
  • Main clause in the past: use the conditional.
    • Juan dijo que terminaría el trabajo. (Juan said that he would finish the work.)
  • Main clause in the present: use the future.
    • Juan dice que terminará el trabajo. (Juan says that he will finish the work.)