¡Hola! Now that you're familiar with the regular conditional tense, we'll explore the common irregular verbs. The great news is that these irregular verbs in the conditional use the same irregular stems as they do in the simple future tense! We'll also look more closely at using the conditional to talk about hypothetical situations and speculation.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
Remember, the conditional endings (-ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían) are added to the stem. For irregular verbs, this stem changes, but the endings stay the same.
(Optional Review): From Chapter 32, what are the irregular future stems for tener, hacer, and decir? (tendr-, har-, dir-). You'll use these exact same stems for the conditional!
The following verbs have irregular stems in the conditional tense (identical to their future irregular stems), but then take the regular conditional endings: -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían.
| Infinitive | Conditional Stem (same as Future Stem) | Yo form (Example) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| decir | dir- | diría | to say, to tell |
| hacer | har- | haría | to do, to make |
| poder | podr- | podría | to be able to, can |
| poner | pondr- | pondría | to put, to place, to set |
| querer | querr- | querría | to want, to love |
| saber | sabr- | sabría | to know (facts, info, how to) |
| salir | saldr- | saldría | to leave, to go out |
| tener | tendr- | tendría | to have |
| venir | vendr- | vendría | to come |
| valer | valdr- | valdría | to be worth |
Poder (podr-) - to be able to:
Hacer (har-) - to do/make:
The conditional can express a guess or probability about a past action from a past perspective, or sometimes about a present situation if you're wondering about something now.
The conditional is key for talking about what you "would do" if a certain (often unstated or implied) condition were true.
Master these common irregular conditional verbs.
Import Chapter 36 Flashcards(Requires login to import/study)
Instructions: For each conditional verb, write the infinitive and the irregular conditional stem.
Answer Key:
Instructions: Write the correct simple conditional form of the verb in parentheses.
Answer Key:
Instructions: Complete the sentences to express what you would do.
(Answers will vary.)
Instructions: One person presents a hypothetical problem or situation (e.g., "No tengo dinero para comprar un coche nuevo." "Quiero aprender un nuevo idioma pero no tengo tiempo."). The other person gives advice using "Yo en tu lugar..." or phrases like "Yo podría..." or "Yo haría..." with irregular conditional verbs.
The conditional tense is frequently used in polite social interactions across Spanish-speaking cultures. Expressing desires as "me gustaría" (I would like) rather than "quiero" (I want) is often preferred in restaurants or when making requests. Similarly, giving advice with "yo que tú, haría..." (if I were you, I would do...) is a common and softer way to offer suggestions.
This is a key shortcut! The verbs that have irregular stems in the Simple Future tense (which we learned in Chapter 32) use those exact same irregular stems for the Conditional tense. You just swap the future endings (-é, -ás, -á...) for the conditional endings (-ía, -ías, -ía...).
Example:
This means you don't have to memorize a whole new set of irregular stems for the conditional if you already know them for the future.
Be careful not to confuse the English "would" that indicates a conditional idea with the "would" that indicates a habitual past action (which translates to the Imperfect tense in Spanish).
Context is key to distinguishing these in English and choosing the correct Spanish tense.
Let's imagine some wishes and possibilities.
Si yo tuviera (imperfect subjunctive - for the "if" clause) superpoderes, ¡haría tantas cosas! Primero, podría volar por todo el mundo.
Saldría de mi casa cada mañana volando y vendría a la escuela sin tráfico. ¿Qué dirían mis amigos? Probablemente querrían volar conmigo.
Yo pondría fin a todos los problemas del mundo. Les diría a todos que fueran amables. Yo sabría las respuestas a todas las preguntas difíciles.
¡Qué vida tan interesante tendría!
If I had superpowers, I would do so many things! First, I would be able to fly all over the world.
I would leave my house every morning flying and I would come to school without traffic. What would my friends say? They would probably want to fly with me.
I would put an end to all the world's problems. I would tell everyone to be kind. I would know the answers to all the difficult questions.
What an interesting life I would have!
decir → dir-, hacer → har-, poder → podr-, poner → pondr-, querer → querr-, saber → sabr-, salir → saldr-, tener → tendr-, venir → vendr-.
-ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían.
Forming the simple conditional with irregular stems + regular conditional endings. Using conditional for speculation and hypothetical ideas.
¡Excelente trabajo! You've now covered both regular and common irregular verbs in the Simple Conditional tense. This is a very versatile tense for expressing hypothetical ideas, politeness, and speculation. Next, we'll embark on a very important journey into the Subjunctive mood, starting with its concept and why it's so crucial in Spanish. ¡Prepárate para un nuevo mundo de expresión!