Ch 11 · Lesson 14Spanish · Chapter 11 · Lesson 14 · Grammar primer
Me gustaría: what the conditional is for
Polite requests (¿ ?), advice (), what you would do, and the half of an if-sentence.
The short version
One phrase that stops you sounding blunt
.
Why?Hide
The conditional is the politeness tense. Swapping for lifts any shop, restaurant or formal exchange, and ¿ ? lands far softer than ¿ ? If you take one thing from the conditional, take and use it every time you order something.
Not every English would is a conditional
, .
Why?Hide
English would does two jobs. When it means used to, a habit in the past, Spanish uses the imperfect: , a . When it means hypothetically would, Spanish uses the conditional: . Reach for in the habit slot and the meaning goes wrong.
Polite requests: the softener
The conditional takes the edge off a request. Each step along this strip is a little softer:
- ¿Puedes ayudarme?present: fine with friends
- ¿Podrías ayudarme?conditional, tú
- ¿Podría ayudarme?conditional, usted
- ¿Le importaría ayudarme?would you mind
| Use | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| I'd like | . | I'd like a coffee. |
| I'd like to | . | I'd like to travel more. |
| could I | ¿ ? | Could I pay? |
| would you mind | ¿ ? | Would you mind waiting? |
| I'd want | . | I'd like to speak to the manager. |
- .
- ¿ ?
Ordering politely: I'd like a coffee. Could we see the menu?
What you would do
On its own, the conditional says what you would do, and with it gives advice:
| Use | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| what you'd do | . | I would go with you. |
| a judgement | . | It would be better to wait. |
| advice | . | You should call your mother. |
| future from the past | . | They said they would come. |
and , irregular almost everywhere else, are regular in the conditional: , .
If-sentences
A "would" sentence often answers an "if": + imperfect subjunctive, then the conditional. The subjunctive half has its own page, si clauses; at this stage, recognise it and build the conditional half:
| If (subjunctive) | Then (conditional) | English |
|---|---|---|
, | . | If I had money, I'd travel more. |
, | . | If I could, I'd help you. |
, | . | If I were you, I wouldn't do it. |
The conditional never goes in the if-half itself: , never " ". ( meaning "whether" is a different word and can take it: . - I don't know whether I'd go.)
Would that isn't the conditional
English "would" has two other jobs, and Spanish uses other tenses for them:
| Meaning | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| a past habit | We would go every summer. | . |
| refused | He wouldn't open the door. | . |
| hypothetical | I would go if I could. | . |
If "would" means "used to", reach for the imperfect.
Going further: The conditional on one screen and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
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