The Conditional Tense (AQA A-Level Spanish): Revision Notes
The Conditional Tense
Overview
The conditional tense allows you to express hypothetical situations, polite requests, and actions that would or could happen under certain circumstances. You'll use this tense when talking about what you would do, what could happen, or when making polite suggestions.
The conditional tense is essential for expressing uncertainty, making suggestions, and being polite in Spanish. Mastering this tense will significantly improve your ability to communicate naturally and courteously.
This tense is particularly useful for:
- Expressing wishes or desires (I would like...)
- Discussing hypothetical scenarios (If I had time, I would...)
- Making polite requests (Would you...?)
- Reporting what someone said they would do
Rules & formation
Forming the conditional tense is straightforward. Unlike most other tenses, you keep the complete infinitive form of the verb and simply add the conditional endings. The same set of endings applies to all three verb types (-AR, -ER, and -IR verbs).
Formation pattern: Infinitive (complete form) + conditional endings
Conditional endings:
- -ía (I would)
- -ías (you would - singular informal)
- -ía (he/she/you would - formal)
- -íamos (we would)
- -íais (you would - plural informal)
- -ían (they/you would - plural formal)
All endings carry an accent on the letter í. This accent is essential and helps distinguish the conditional from other tenses. Never omit this accent mark!
Regular verb conjugations
Understanding the Pattern
The beauty of the conditional tense is its consistency. Whether you're working with -AR, -ER, or -IR verbs, the formation pattern remains exactly the same. Once you master the endings, you can conjugate any regular verb in the conditional tense.
Here are complete conjugation tables for three regular verbs, representing each verb type:
TRABAJAR (to work) - AR verb
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | trabajaría | I would work |
| tú | trabajarías | you would work |
| él/ella/usted | trabajaría | he/she/you would work |
| nosotros/as | trabajaríamos | we would work |
| vosotros/as | trabajaríais | you would work (plural) |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | trabajarían | they/you would work |
CORRER (to run) - ER verb
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | correría | I would run |
| tú | correrías | you would run |
| él/ella/usted | correría | he/she/you would run |
| nosotros/as | correríamos | we would run |
| vosotros/as | correríais | you would run (plural) |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | correrían | they/you would run |
ESCRIBIR (to write) - IR verb
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | escribiría | I would write |
| tú | escribirías | you would write |
| él/ella/usted | escribiría | he/she/you would write |
| nosotros/as | escribiríamos | we would write |
| vosotros/as | escribiríais | you would write (plural) |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | escribirían | they/you would write |
Worked Example: Conjugating a Regular Verb
Let's conjugate the verb HABLAR (to speak) in the conditional tense:
Step 1: Start with the complete infinitive
- Infinitive: hablar
Step 2: Add the conditional endings
- yo hablaría (I would speak)
- tú hablarías (you would speak)
- él/ella/usted hablaría (he/she/you would speak)
- nosotros/as hablaríamos (we would speak)
- vosotros/as hablaríais (you would speak - plural)
- ellos/ellas/ustedes hablarían (they/you would speak)
Notice how we keep the entire infinitive "hablar" and simply add the endings!
Irregular verbs in the conditional
Twelve verbs have irregular stems in the conditional tense. However, there's good news: these are exactly the same irregular stems used in the future tense. Once you've learnt them for the future, you already know them for the conditional. The endings remain regular (-ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían).
The 12 Irregular Verbs
There are exactly 12 irregular verbs in the conditional tense - no more, no less. These verbs don't use the infinitive as their stem; instead, they use special irregular stems. The good news is that if you've learned the future tense, you already know these stems!
Irregular stems and conjugations
| Infinitive | Future stem | Conditional (yo form) | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| CABER | cabr- | yo cabría | I would fit |
| DECIR | dir- | yo diría | I would say |
| HABER | habr- | yo habría | I would have |
| HACER | har- | yo haría | I would do/make |
| PODER | podr- | yo podría | I would be able to |
| PONER | pondr- | yo pondría | I would put |
| QUERER | querr- | yo querría | I would want |
| SABER | sabr- | yo sabría | I would know |
| SALIR | saldr- | yo saldría | I would leave |
| TENER | tendr- | yo tendría | I would have |
| VALER | valdr- | yo valdría | I would be worth |
| VENIR | vendr- | yo vendría | I would come |
Remember: you take the irregular stem and add the regular conditional endings to create all the forms.
Worked Example: Conjugating PODER (to be able to)
Let's see how to conjugate an irregular verb in the conditional tense:
Step 1: Identify the irregular stem
- Infinitive: PODER
- Irregular stem: podr- (not "poder-")
Step 2: Add the regular conditional endings to the irregular stem
- yo podría (I would be able to)
- tú podrías (you would be able to)
- él/ella/usted podría (he/she/you would be able to)
- nosotros/as podríamos (we would be able to)
- vosotros/as podríais (you would be able to - plural)
- ellos/ellas/ustedes podrían (they/you would be able to)
Notice that even though the stem is irregular, the endings are exactly the same as regular verbs!
Example sentences
Here are some examples showing the conditional tense in context, with explanations of how it's being used:
Using the Conditional in Context
¿Te gustaría venir a visitarme?
Would you like to come visit me?
The conditional here makes a polite invitation. Using "gustaría" is more courteous than the present tense.
Dijo que correría el maratón.
She said she would run the marathon.
This shows reported speech - the conditional expresses what someone said they would do in the future.
Sería interesante aprender francés.
It would be interesting to learn French.
Here the conditional presents a hypothetical situation or opinion about something that isn't currently happening.
Yo haría el trabajo pero no tengo tiempo.
I would do the work, but I don't have time.
This demonstrates a conditional action that depends on circumstances. The person would do it, but something prevents them.
Podríamos hacer senderismo mañana.
We could go hiking tomorrow.
The conditional suggests a possibility or makes a suggestion about future plans.
Common mistakes & tips
Missing or Incorrect Accents
All conditional endings must have an accent on the í. Without this accent, the meaning changes entirely or the word becomes incorrect.
Correct: trabajaría, correría, escribiría
❌ Incorrect: trabajaria, correria, escribiria
The accent is non-negotiable and appears in every single form of the conditional tense.
Confusing Irregular Stems
Students often forget which verbs have irregular stems or try to use the infinitive form. Remember: there are exactly 12 irregular verbs, and they use the same stems as the future tense. Memorise these stems as a group.
A common error is writing ❌ "hacería" instead of the correct "haría" (HACER → har- not hacer-).
Mixing Up Conditional with Imperfect
Both tenses can be translated as "would" in English, but they mean different things:
-
Conditional: expresses hypothetical actions
→ I would go = iría -
Imperfect: describes habitual past actions
→ I would go every day = iba cada día
Understanding this distinction is crucial for using the correct tense in context.
Forgetting to Use the Full Infinitive
Unlike other tenses where you remove -ar/-er/-ir endings, the conditional keeps the entire infinitive form.
You add endings to:
- trabajar, correr, escribir
NOT to:
- ❌ trabaj-, corr-, escrib-
This is one of the features that makes the conditional tense easier to learn!
Helpful Tips for Mastering the Conditional
- Learn the 12 irregular verbs as one group since they're identical in both future and conditional
- Practice the regular endings thoroughly - once you know them, they work for all regular verbs
- When in doubt about whether a verb is irregular, check if it's one of the 12; if not, it's regular
- The accent on the í is non-negotiable - it appears in every single form
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
-
The conditional tense expresses what would or could happen under certain conditions
-
Formation is simple: full infinitive + endings (-ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían)
-
All endings require an accent on the letter í - this is essential and never optional
-
Only 12 verbs are irregular, and they use the same stems as the future tense
-
The conditional is perfect for making polite requests, expressing wishes, and discussing hypothetical scenarios