The conditional tense (Edexcel GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
The conditional tense
What is the conditional tense?
The conditional tense in Spanish expresses what someone would do, could do, or should do in certain circumstances. It's equivalent to using "would" in English, such as "I would go" or "she would like". This tense is particularly useful for making polite requests, giving advice, and talking about hypothetical situations.
The conditional tense is one of the most practical tenses in Spanish because it helps you sound more polite and diplomatic in conversation. It's especially valuable when making requests or expressing desires without being too direct.
Formation of the conditional tense
Regular verbs
Forming the conditional tense is straightforward because it follows a consistent pattern for all verbs. You take the infinitive form of any verb and add the same set of endings, regardless of whether it's an -ar, -er, or -ir verb.
| Person | Ending | Example (hablar) | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | -ía | hablaría | I would speak |
| you | -ías | hablarías | you would speak |
| he/she/it | -ía | hablaría | he/she would speak |
| we | -íamos | hablaríamos | we would speak |
| you (plural) | -íais | hablaríais | you would speak |
| they | -ían | hablarían | they would speak |
These endings remain the same for every single verb in Spanish, which makes the conditional tense quite manageable once you've learnt the pattern. Notice that all endings carry an accent mark on the í.
Practice with Regular Verbs:
- Compraría un coche nuevo. (I would buy a new car.)
- ¿Vendrías a la fiesta? (Would you come to the party?)
- Estudiaríamos juntos. (We would study together.)
Irregular verbs
While the endings stay the same, some commonly used verbs have irregular stems. Instead of using the full infinitive, these verbs drop letters or change their form before adding the conditional endings.
| Infinitive | Irregular stem | Conditional (I) | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| decir | dir- | diría | I would say |
| haber | habr- | habría | I would have |
| hacer | har- | haría | I would do/make |
| poder | podr- | podría | I could/would be able |
| querer | querr- | querría | I would want |
| Infinitive | Irregular stem | Conditional (I) | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| sabre | sabr- | sabría | I would know |
| salir | saldr- | saldría | I would leave |
| tener | tendr- | tendría | I would have |
| venir | vendr- | vendría | I would come |
| poner | pondr- | pondría | I would put |
Most irregular verbs in the conditional follow the same pattern as their irregular future tense forms. If you already know the future tense irregulars, you're halfway there!
Using Irregular Verbs:
- No sabría qué decir. (I wouldn't know what to say.)
- ¿Podrías ayudarme? (Could you help me?)
- Tendríamos que salir temprano. (We would have to leave early.)
Uses of the conditional tense
Expressing possibility with poder
When you want to say what you could do or what would be possible, use poder in the conditional tense followed by an infinitive. This construction is very common for making suggestions or talking about potential actions.
Expressing Possibilities:
- Podríamos ir a Barcelona. (We could go to Barcelona.)
- Una tienda para alquilar bicicletas sería una idea muy buena. (A bike hire shop would be a really good idea.)
- Podrías estudiar medicina. (You could study medicine.)
Giving advice with deber
To express what someone should do or ought to do, use deber in the conditional tense plus an infinitive. This is a polite way to give advice or make recommendations without sounding too direct or commanding.
Giving Polite Advice:
- Nunca deberías fumar. (You should never smoke.)
- Deberíamos estudiar más para el examen. (We should study more for the exam.)
- Deberían llegar antes de las ocho. (They should arrive before eight.)
Expressing future desires with gustar
The conditional tense works particularly well for talking about future plans or desires. You can use gustar in the conditional to express what you would like to do in the future, making your statements sound more polite and less demanding.
Expressing Desires Politely:
- Me gustaría ir a Latinoamérica. (I'd like to go to Latin America.)
- Me gustaría ser escritora. (I'd like to be a writer.)
- Me gustaría comprar un coche nuevo. (I'd like to buy a new car.)
You can also use me encantaría (I would love to) as an alternative to express even stronger enthusiasm:
- Me encantaría tener una casa al lado del mar. (I would love to have a house by the sea.)
Practice exercise
Translation Practice:
Spanish to English:
- Comería más fruta si fuera más barata.
- ¿Te gustaría venir conmigo?
English to Spanish:
- I would drink more water.
- We could visit the museum.
Answers:
- I would eat more fruit if it were cheaper.
- Would you like to come with me?
- Bebería más agua.
- Podríamos visitar el museo.
Key Points to Remember:
- The conditional tense uses the same endings (-ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían) for all verbs
- Add these endings directly to the infinitive for regular verbs
- Some common verbs have irregular stems but still use the same endings
- Use poder + infinitive to express what you could do
- Use deber + infinitive to give advice about what someone should do
- Use me gustaría + infinitive to express future desires politely