Three types of conditional sentences
Spanish has three main types of if-clauses, each expressing a different degree of likelihood. Mastering these is a major milestone - they combine tenses you've already learned in new, powerful ways.
Type 1: Real / possible conditions
Si + present indicative, present / future / imperative
Used for things that are likely or always true:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Si llueve, me quedo en casa. | If it rains, I stay at home. (habit) |
| Si estudias, aprobarás el examen. | If you study, you'll pass the exam. (likely) |
| Si tienes hambre, come algo. | If you're hungry, eat something. (advice) |
| Si no te das prisa, vamos a llegar tarde. | If you don't hurry, we're going to be late. |
Rule: Never use the present subjunctive after si in this type. It's always the indicative.
Type 2: Unlikely / hypothetical conditions
Si + imperfect subjunctive, conditional
Used for things that are unlikely, imaginary, or contrary to reality right now:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Si tuviera dinero, viajaría por el mundo. | If I had money, I would travel the world. |
| Si pudiera volar, iría a Japón. | If I could fly, I would go to Japan. |
| Si hablara chino, trabajaría en Shanghai. | If I spoke Chinese, I would work in Shanghai. |
| Si yo fuera tú, no haría eso. | If I were you, I wouldn't do that. |
Note: The order can be reversed: Viajaría por el mundo si tuviera dinero. No comma is needed when the result clause comes first.
Type 3: Impossible / past conditions
Si + pluperfect subjunctive, conditional perfect
Used for things that didn't happen - it's too late to change them:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Si hubiera estudiado, habría aprobado. | If I had studied, I would have passed. |
| Si hubiéramos salido antes, habríamos llegado a tiempo. | If we had left earlier, we would have arrived on time. |
| Si me lo hubieras dicho, te habría ayudado. | If you had told me, I would have helped you. |
| Si no hubiera llovido, habríamos ido a la playa. | If it hadn't rained, we would have gone to the beach. |
Reminder: conditional perfect
habría/habrías/habría/habríamos/habríais/habrían + past participle
Summary table
| Type | Si clause | Result clause | Likelihood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Real | present indicative | present / future / imperative | Likely / general truth |
| 2 - Hypothetical | imperfect subjunctive | conditional | Unlikely / imaginary now |
| 3 - Impossible | pluperfect subjunctive | conditional perfect | Impossible (past) |
Mixed conditionals
Sometimes the condition is in the past but the result is in the present, or vice versa. These are called mixed conditionals:
- Si hubiera aceptado el trabajo, ahora viviríamos en Madrid. - If I had accepted the job, we would now be living in Madrid. (past condition, present result)
- Si fuera más valiente, habría dicho algo ayer. - If I were braver, I would have said something yesterday. (present condition, past result)
Common mistakes to avoid
- Never use the present subjunctive after si: Si tenga... is wrong. Use Si tengo... (Type 1) or Si tuviera... (Type 2).
- Never use the conditional in the si clause: Si tendría... is wrong. The conditional goes in the result clause.
- Don't confuse Type 2 and Type 3: Si tuviera = if I had (now, hypothetical). Si hubiera tenido = if I had had (then, impossible to change).
Dialogue: what would you do?
Laura: ¿Qué harías si te tocara la lotería?
Daniel: Si me tocara la lotería, primero dejaría de trabajar. Luego compraría una casa en la costa y viajaría durante un año.
Laura: ¿No seguirías trabajando? Yo me aburriría si no hiciera nada.
Daniel: Bueno, quizá montaría un negocio propio. Si tuviera mi propia empresa, sería más feliz que trabajando para otros.
Laura: Yo creo que si ganara mucho dinero, invertiría en educación. Si hubiera tenido más recursos de joven, habría estudiado en el extranjero.
Daniel: Es verdad. Si hubieras ido a estudiar fuera, ¿crees que tu vida sería diferente ahora?
Laura: Probablemente sí. Pero no me arrepiento. Si no me hubiera quedado aquí, no te habría conocido.
Daniel: ¡Menos mal! Si no te conociera, mi vida sería muy aburrida.
Translation
Laura: What would you do if you won the lottery?
Daniel: If I won the lottery, first I'd stop working. Then I'd buy a house on the coast and travel for a year.
Laura: You wouldn't keep working? I'd get bored if I didn't do anything.
Daniel: Well, maybe I'd set up my own business. If I had my own company, I'd be happier than working for others.
Laura: I think if I won a lot of money, I'd invest in education. If I had had more resources when I was young, I would have studied abroad.
Daniel: That's true. If you had gone to study abroad, do you think your life would be different now?
Laura: Probably yes. But I don't regret it. If I hadn't stayed here, I wouldn't have met you.
Daniel: Thank goodness! If I didn't know you, my life would be very boring.
Practice
Complete with the correct verb forms:
- Si (tener - yo) _____ tiempo, (ir) _____ al gimnasio. (Type 2)
- Si (llover) _____, no (salir - nosotros) _____. (Type 1)
- Si (estudiar - tú) _____ más, (aprobar) _____ el examen. (Type 2)
- Si me lo (decir - tú) _____ antes, te (ayudar - yo) _____. (Type 3)
- Si yo (ser) _____ tú, (aceptar) _____ la oferta. (Type 2)
Answers
- Si tuviera tiempo, iría al gimnasio.
- Si llueve, no salimos / saldremos.
- Si estudiaras más, aprobarías el examen.
- Si me lo hubieras dicho antes, te habría ayudado.
- Si yo fuera tú, aceptaría la oferta.
Key takeaways
- Type 1 (real): si + present, future/present/imperative. For likely or general conditions.
- Type 2 (hypothetical): si + imperfect subjunctive, conditional. For unlikely or imaginary situations now.
- Type 3 (impossible): si + pluperfect subjunctive, conditional perfect. For things that didn't happen in the past.
- Never put the subjunctive or conditional in the si clause - only indicative or imperfect/pluperfect subjunctive.
- Mixed conditionals combine different time frames: past condition with present result, or vice versa.