Spanish grammar: condicional simple

What this grammar point covers

The 'condicional simple' in Spanish is a verb tense used to express what would happen in the future under certain conditions, to make polite requests, or to give advice.

When to use it

Use the condicional simple in Spanish to talk about hypothetical situations, to express wishes, to give advice, or to make polite requests.

Key forms

• Infinitive of the verb + endings: -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían
• Examples: hablaría, comerías, vivirían

Examples

Tips

• Always add the endings to the full infinitive of the verb.
• Don't confuse the condicional simple with the future tense; the condicional talks about 'would', not 'will'.
• Some verbs are irregular in this tense—learn the most common ones.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Some verbs have irregular stems, like 'tener' (tendría), 'hacer' (haría), 'decir' (diría), 'salir' (saldría), 'venir' (vendría), etc.