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Tense guide
Condicional (Conditional)

Language: Spanish
Tense:
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Practice conjugation drills

Introduction

This verb form is often used to talk about what would happen. It helps express possibilities, polite requests, and things that are not certain reality. Think of it as the "would" tense in English.

One of the most common uses is to make polite requests. Using this tense sounds softer and less demanding than a direct command.

Me gustaría un vaso de agua, por favor.
(I would like a glass of water, please.)
¿Podrías ayudarme con esto?
(Could you help me with this?)
¿Te importaría cerrar la ventana?
(Would you mind closing the window?)
¿Nos traerías el menú?
(Would you bring us the menu?)

This tense is perfect for talking about imagined or potential situations. It describes what you would do or what would happen in a specific, non-real circumstance.

Yo compraría esa casa.
(I would buy that house.)
Con más tiempo libre, leeríamos más libros.
(With more free time, we would read more books.)
A él le encantaría tu regalo.
(He would love your gift.)
¿Qué harías en mi situación?
(What would you do in my situation?)

You can use this tense to give advice or a recommendation in a gentle way. It’s like saying "If I were you, I would.."..

Yo hablaría con ella.
(I would talk to her.)
Deberías descansar un poco.
(You should rest a little.)
En tu lugar, yo no diría nada.
(In your place, I wouldn't say anything.)

It is also used to talk about a future action from a past perspective. It describes what someone said or thought was going to happen at a point in the past.

Ayer, mi amigo dijo que vendría hoy.
(Yesterday, my friend said he would come today.)
Pensé que la película sería más interesante.
(I thought the movie would be more interesting.)
Nos prometieron que nos llamarían.
(They promised us they would call us.)

Finally, you can use this tense to express a guess or wonder about something in the past. It shows that you are not sure about a past fact.

¿Qué hora sería cuando llamaron?
(I wonder what time it was when they called.)
Él tendría unos veinte años en esa foto.
(He was probably about twenty years old in that photo.)

Notice that this tense is not about things that are happening now. It is almost always about politeness, imagination, or talking about the past.

Conjugation patterns