- Understand the three types of conditional sentences in Spanish
- Master Type 1: Real conditions (si + present, future)
- Master Type 2: Hypothetical present (si + imperfect subjunctive, conditional)
- Master Type 3: Hypothetical past (si + pluperfect subjunctive, conditional perfect)
- Know when to use indicative vs subjunctive with "si"
The rule at a glance
Si + condition, result
The less likely the condition, the further back the tenses go
Type 1: real
si + present, future
likely to happen
Si llueve, me quedaré en casa.
If it rains, I'll stay at home.
Type 2: hypothetical
si + imperfect subjunctive, conditional
unreal now or unlikely
Si tuviera dinero, compraría un piso.
If I had money, I would buy a flat.
Type 3: past
si + pluperfect subjunctive, conditional perfect
didn't happen
Si hubiera estudiado, habría aprobado.
If I had studied, I would have passed.
- When si means "if", never put the future or conditional after it: Si llueve mañana, not Si lloverá mañana; Si tuviera, not Si tendría. (When si means "whether", you can: No sé si vendrá.)
- Type 1 or Type 2? It depends on how likely it is: Si viene Juan (I think he will) vs Si viniera Juan (I doubt it).
What You'll Learn
Overview
Conditional sentences (also called "if clauses" or "si clauses") express what will, would, or would have happened under certain conditions. Spanish has three main types, each with specific verb tenses and meanings.
Type 1: Real/Possible
Si llueve, llevaré paraguas
If it rains, I'll take an umbrella
Talking about real, likely possibilities
Type 2: Hypothetical Present
Si tuviera dinero, compraría una casa
If I had money, I would buy a house
Imagining unreal present/future situations
Type 3: Hypothetical Past
Si hubiera estudiado, habría pasado
If I had studied, I would have passed
Imagining different past outcomes
Key Insight
The type of conditional you choose depends on how real or possible the condition is:
- Type 1 = Real possibility (might actually happen)
- Type 2 = Unreal present (contrary to current reality)
- Type 3 = Unreal past (contrary to what actually happened)
Structure & Formation
Type 1: Real/Possible Conditions
Formula: Si + present indicative, future/present/imperative
Use Type 1 for conditions that are real and possible in the present or future.
Si + present, future
Si tengo tiempo, iré al cine
If I have time, I'll go to the cinema
Si + present, present
Si llueve, me quedo en casa
If it rains, I stay home
(Habitual actions)
Si + present, imperative
Si ves a Juan, dile que me llame
If you see Juan, tell him to call me
Si + present, ir a + infinitive
Si hace sol, vamos a ir a la playa
If it's sunny, we're going to go to the beach
Type 2: Hypothetical Present/Future
Formula: Si + imperfect subjunctive, conditional
Use Type 2 for hypothetical or contrary-to-fact situations. These are things that are not true now or unlikely to happen.
Si tuviera dinero, viajaría por el mundo
If I had money, I would travel the world
(But I don't have money now)
Si fuera rico, compraría un yate
If I were rich, I would buy a yacht
(But I'm not rich)
Si pudieras venir, sería genial
If you could come, it would be great
(But you probably can't)
Si viviera en España, hablaría español perfectamente
If I lived in Spain, I would speak Spanish perfectly
(But I don't live in Spain)
Tip: Type 2 is the most common conditional for giving advice:
Yo en tu lugar, estudiaría más = If I were you, I would study more
Type 3: Hypothetical Past
Formula: Si + pluperfect subjunctive, conditional perfect
Use Type 3 for impossible past situations - things that didn't happen but you're imagining what would have happened if they had.
Pluperfect subjunctive: hubiera/hubiese + participle | Conditional perfect: habría + participle
Si hubiera estudiado, habría pasado el examen
If I had studied, I would have passed the exam
(But I didn't study, so I didn't pass)
Si hubieras venido, habrías conocido a mi hermano
If you had come, you would have met my brother
(But you didn't come)
Si hubiéramos sabido, habríamos ido contigo
If we had known, we would have gone with you
(But we didn't know)
Si hubiera llovido, habríamos cancelado el partido
If it had rained, we would have cancelled the match
(But it didn't rain)
Quick Reference: All Three Types
Type 1: Real/Possible
Si clause
Si + present
Si llueve
Result
future / present
llevaré paraguas
Type 2: Hypothetical Present
Si clause
Si + impf. subj.
Si tuviera
Result
conditional
compraría
Type 3: Hypothetical Past
Si clause
Si + plupf. subj.
Si hubiera estudiado
Result
cond. perfect
habría pasado
Examples
Type 1: Real/Possible
Future plan
Si tengo tiempo, iré al cine
If I have time, I'll go to the cinema
Habitual
Si llueve, me quedo en casa
If it rains, I stay home
Imperative
Si ves a Juan, dile que me llame
If you see Juan, tell him to call me
Plans
Si hace sol, vamos a la playa
If it's sunny, we'll go to the beach
Offer
Si terminas pronto, te ayudo
If you finish early, I'll help you
Warning
Si no estudias, no aprobarás
If you don't study, you won't pass
Type 2: Hypothetical Present
Unreal now
Si tuviera dinero, viajaría
If I had money, I would travel
Fantasy
Si fuera rico, compraría un yate
If I were rich, I would buy a yacht
Unlikely
Si pudieras venir, sería genial
If you could come, it would be great
Contrary
Si viviera en España, hablaría mejor
If I lived in Spain, I would speak better
Advice
Yo en tu lugar, estudiaría más
If I were you, I would study more
Current
Si no lloviera, saldríamos
If it weren't raining, we'd go out
Type 3: Hypothetical Past
Regret
Si hubiera estudiado, habría pasado
If I had studied, I would have passed
Missed
Si hubieras venido, lo habrías visto
If you had come, you would have seen it
Unaware
Si hubiéramos sabido, habríamos ido
If we had known, we would have gone
Didn't happen
Si hubiera llovido, habríamos cancelado
If it had rained, we would have cancelled
Opportunity
Si me hubieras llamado, habría ayudado
If you had called me, I would have helped
Too late
Si hubieran llegado antes, habrían comido
If they had arrived earlier, they would have eaten
Common Mistakes
Never use future or conditional after "si"
Unlike English, you can never use future or conditional in the "si" clause:
✗ Si lloverá mañana... / Si tendría dinero...
✓ Si llueve mañana... / Si tuviera dinero...
Don't confuse "si" (if) with "sí" (yes)
These are two different words - notice the accent mark on "sí" meaning "yes":
Si tengo tiempo... (If I have time...)
Sí, tengo tiempo (Yes, I have time)
Type 1 vs Type 2: probability matters
Both can refer to future time, but with different implications:
Type 1 (likely):
Si viene Juan, me avisas
If Juan comes, let me know
I think he'll probably come
Type 2 (unlikely):
Si viniera Juan, me avisarías
If Juan were to come, you'd let me know
I doubt he'll come
Wrong subjunctive form for Type 2
Use imperfect subjunctive (not present subjunctive) for Type 2:
✗ Si tenga dinero, compraría una casa
✓ Si tuviera dinero, compraría una casa
Mixing up conditional types
Keep the verb tenses consistent within each type:
✗ Si tuviera dinero, compraré una casa
✓ Si tuviera dinero, compraría una casa
Forgetting "hubiera" in Type 3
Type 3 requires pluperfect subjunctive (hubiera + past participle):
✗ Si estudié, habría pasado
✓ Si hubiera estudiado, habría pasado
Quick Test
Test your mastery of all three types of conditional sentences!
1. Si _____ (tener-yo) tiempo mañana, iré al gimnasio. (Type 1)
Atengo
Btenga
Ctuviera
Dtendré
2. Si _____ (ser-yo) rico, viajaría por todo el mundo. (Type 2)
Asoy
Bsea
Cfuera
Dsería
3. Si _____ (estudiar-yo) más, habría pasado el examen. (Type 3)
Aestudio
Bestudiara
Chubiera estudiado
Dhabría estudiado
4. Si llueve, _____ en casa. (Habitual action)
Ame quedo
Bme quedaré
Cme quedaría
Dme quedara
5. Si tuviera más dinero, _____ (comprar) un coche nuevo.
Acompro
Bcompraré
Ccompraría
Dcompre
6. Si hubieras venido a la fiesta, _____ (conocer) a mis amigos.
Aconoces
Bconocerías
Chabrías conocido
Dhubieras conocido
7. Which is correct for a real possibility tomorrow?
ASi lloverá...
BSi llueve...
CSi lloviera...
DSi llueva...
8. Si _____ (ver-tú) a María, dile que me llame.
Aves
Bverás
Cvieras
Dveas
Want more practice? Try our interactive fill-in-the-blank exercises to master conditional sentences in context!