The Conditional: Des

Think of the Conditional as the "dreamer's tense." It describes actions that depend on a condition. For example, "I would go, but I am tired." The going depends on the tiredness. It also works as the "future of the past." If you said yesterday that you *would* call, that is the conditional. It bridges the gap between what was expected and what might happen. Unlike the present tense, it does not claim things are happening right now. It suggests they *could* happen under the right circumstances. It is soft, flexible, and very useful for social navigation.

1. 1Forming the conditional is a breath of fresh air. You take the entire infinitive of the verb. Do not drop the -ar, -er, or -ir. Then, you add these universal endings:
2. 2For yo: add -ía
3. 3For tú: add -ías
4. 4For él/ella/usted: add -ía
5. 5For nosotros: add -íamos
6. 6For vosotros: add -íais
7. 7For ellos/ellas/ustedes: add -ían
8. 8Notice something? All three verb groups use the exact same endings. Yes, even the -ar verbs! Also, every single ending has an accent mark on the í. If you forget the accent, the grammar police might not arrest you, but your sentence will look naked.
9. 9There are a few irregulars, but here is the secret: they are the exact same stems as the Future tense. If you know tendré (I will have), you know tendría (I would have).

There are four main scenarios where the conditional shines:

• Politeness: Use it to soften requests. Instead of saying "Give me water," say ¿Podría darme agua? (Could you give me water?). It makes you sound like a sophisticated traveler rather than a demanding tourist.
• Advice: Use it to tell people what to do without being bossy. Yo que tú, comería menos picante (If I were you, I would eat less spicy food).
• Hypotheticals: Use it for "what if" situations. Viajaría a Marte si tuviera dinero (I would travel to Mars if I had money).
• Probability in the Past: This is a bit tricky. It expresses a guess about the past. Serían las ocho cuando llegamos (It must have been/It was probably eight when we arrived).

Do not use the conditional after the word si (if) in a standard "if" clause. This is a classic trap. You should never say si yo tendría. Instead, you use the Subjunctive there. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. The si is a red light for the conditional. You have to wait for the second half of the sentence to use it.

Also, do not use it for definite future plans. If you are 100% going to the beach tomorrow, use the Future tense or ir + a + infinitive. The conditional is for the "maybe" and the "would."

One big mistake is forgetting the accent marks. Every single form needs that accent on the í. Without it, you are just making up words.

Another mistake is trying to change the stem for regular verbs. Remember: keep the infinitive whole! Do not say yo comería as yo comía. Comía is the Imperfect (I used to eat). That one little letter r changes the whole meaning.

Finally, watch out for those irregulars. Hacer becomes haría, not hacería. Even native speakers mess this up when they are tired, but you are better than that!

The Conditional is often confused with the Imperfect. The Imperfect (comía) is for things you *used to do* habitually. The Conditional (comería) is for things you *would do* now or in the future.

It also contrasts with the Future tense. The Future (comeré) is a promise or a prediction. The Conditional (comería) is a possibility or a polite suggestion. If you tell your boss Terminaré el informe, you are promising to finish it. If you say Terminaría el informe, you are implying there is a "but" coming. Use the right one to keep your job!