- Form the conditional perfect tense with haber (conditional) + past participle
- Express hypothetical actions that would have happened in the past
- Use the conditional perfect to express regret and speculation
- Apply conditional perfect in 'if' clauses and complex sentences
- Distinguish between conditional perfect and other perfect tenses
- Make polite speculations and soften statements about the past
What You'll Learn
Overview
The conditional perfect (condicional perfecto or condicional compuesto) expresses actions that would have happened in the past under different circumstances. It's formed with the conditional tense of haber + past participle.
The Core Pattern
haber (conditional) + past participle
Habría ido a la fiesta
I would have gone to the party
When to Use Conditional Perfect
- Regret or unfulfilled actions - "I would have gone" (habría ido)
- Speculation about the past - "He would have been about 30" (habría tenido unos 30 años)
- Conditional sentences - "If I had known, I would have helped" (Si hubiera sabido, habría ayudado)
- Polite speculation - "It would have been around 8pm" (habrían sido las ocho)
Structure & Formation
Conjugating Haber in the Conditional
yo → habría
habría hablado
I would have spoken
tú → habrías
habrías comido
you would have eaten
él/ella/usted → habría
habría vivido
he/she would have lived
nosotros/as → habríamos
habríamos terminado
we would have finished
vosotros/as → habríais
habríais salido
you all would have left
ellos/ellas/ustedes → habrían
habrían llegado
they would have arrived
Forming Past Participles
Regular -ar verbs: → -ado
hablar → hablado, estudiar → estudiado, trabajar → trabajado
Regular -er/-ir verbs: → -ido
comer → comido, vivir → vivido, salir → salido
Common irregular participles:
hacer
hecho
done/made
escribir
escrito
written
ver
visto
seen
decir
dicho
said
poner
puesto
put
volver
vuelto
returned
abrir
abierto
opened
romper
roto
broken
morir
muerto
died
cubrir
cubierto
covered
Key Expressions with Conditional Perfect
Si + pluperfect subjunctive
Si hubiera sabido, habría venido
If I had known, I would have come
De haber + participle
De haberlo sabido, te habría llamado
Had I known, I would have called you
En tu lugar
En tu lugar, habría aceptado
In your place, I would have accepted
De + infinitive
De ser así, habría funcionado
If that were the case, it would have worked
Yo que tú
Yo que tú, no habría dicho nada
If I were you, I wouldn't have said anything
Sin + noun
Sin tu ayuda, no lo habría conseguido
Without your help, I wouldn't have managed it
Examples
Regret & Missed Opportunities
Illness
Habría ido a la fiesta pero estaba enfermo
I would have gone to the party but I was ill
Money
Habríamos comprado la casa si hubiéramos tenido el dinero
We would have bought the house if we'd had the money
Lost
Te habría llamado pero perdí mi móvil
I would have called you but I lost my mobile
Training
Habrían ganado si hubieran entrenado más
They would have won if they had trained more
Speculation About the Past
Time
Habrían sido las diez cuando llegó
It must have been about 10 o'clock when he arrived
Age
Habría tenido unos treinta años
He/She must have been about 30 years old
Appearance
Habrías pensado que era rico
You would have thought he was rich
Cost
Habría costado una fortuna
It must have cost a fortune
Work & Professional
Salary
Habría aceptado el trabajo si el sueldo fuera mejor
I would have accepted the job if the salary were better
Promotion
Habrían ascendido a María pero se fue
They would have promoted María but she left
Deadline
Habríamos terminado el proyecto a tiempo
We would have finished the project on time
Report
Te habría enviado el informe
I would have sent you the report
Education & Learning
Exams
Habría aprobado si hubiera estudiado más
I would have passed if I had studied more
Teacher
Habrías entendido mejor con otro profesor
You would have understood better with a different teacher
Advice
En tu lugar, habría elegido otra carrera
In your place, I would have chosen a different degree
Grades
Habrían sacado mejores notas
They would have got better marks
Relationships & Personal
Marriage
Me habría casado con ella
I would have married her
Happiness
Habrías sido más feliz con otra pareja
You would have been happier with another partner
Moving
Nos habríamos mudado juntos
We would have moved in together
Divorce
Se habrían divorciado antes
They would have divorced earlier
Hypothetical Situations
If clause
De haberlo sabido, no habría venido
Had I known, I wouldn't have come
General
Cualquiera habría hecho lo mismo
Anyone would have done the same
Luck
Con más suerte, habríamos ganado
With more luck, we would have won
Help
Sin tu ayuda, no lo habría conseguido
Without your help, I wouldn't have managed
Common Mistakes
Using simple conditional instead of conditional perfect
✗ Si hubiera sabido, vendría
✓ Si hubiera sabido, habría venido
With 'si + pluperfect subjunctive', use conditional perfect (habría venido).
Confusing conditional perfect with future perfect
✗ Habré ido si tuviera tiempo
✓ Habría ido si hubiera tenido tiempo
Future perfect (habré) is for future completion. Conditional perfect (habría) is for hypothetical past.
Wrong participle form
✗ Habría escribido
✓ Habría escrito
Remember irregular participles: escribir → escrito, not *escribido.
Forgetting the auxiliary verb haber
✗ Yo comprado la casa
✓ Yo habría comprado la casa
Conditional perfect always requires haber in conditional form.
Wrong conditional form of haber
✗ Hubiera comido (pluperfect subjunctive)
✓ Habría comido (conditional perfect)
Don't confuse habría (conditional) with hubiera (pluperfect subjunctive).
Quick Test
Test your knowledge of the conditional perfect tense!
1. How do you say 'I would have gone to the party'?
2. Complete: 'Si hubiera sabido, ___ venido'
3. Which is correct for 'We would have bought the house'?
4. What does 'Habrían sido las diez' mean?
5. Choose the correct form: 'You (tú) would have understood'
6. Complete: 'En tu lugar, yo ___ dimitido'
7. Which verb form is 'would have seen'?
8. Identify the conditional perfect: 'They would have won'