Real Conditionals — Si + Present → Future
Real conditionals express genuinely possible scenarios: Si estudio mucho, aprobaré el examen. Practice the si + present indicative → future indicative pattern in both clause orders. Contrast with English "if" clauses.
A lesson of Spanish B1 — Intermediate, in Conditionals & Hypotheticals, about 10 minutes.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to form and use real conditional sentences (Type 1) that describe likely or possible outcomes tied to present or future conditions.
Two Types of Conditional Sentences
Spanish, like English, distinguishes between conditions that are real/likely and those that are hypothetical/unreal. This lesson covers the first type.
| Type | Meaning | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Type 1 — Real | Likely outcome: "If X happens, Y will happen" | Si + present indicative → future |
| Type 2 — Hypothetical | Unlikely/impossible: "If X happened, Y would happen" | Si + imperfect subjunctive → conditional (next lesson) |
Type 1: Si + Present Indicative → Future Tense
When the condition is plausible — something that could actually happen — use the present indicative in the si clause and the future tense (or present indicative, for immediacy) in the result clause.
Structure
Si + [present indicative] + , + [future tense] Si + [present indicative] + , + [present indicative / imperative]
Examples with Future
| Si clause (condition) | Result clause (consequence) |
|---|---|
| Si estudio mucho, | aprobaré el examen. |
| (If I study hard,) | (I will pass the exam.) |
| Si llueve mañana, | me quedaré en casa. |
| (If it rains tomorrow,) | (I will stay home.) |
| Si tienes hambre, | podemos comer ahora. |
| (If you're hungry,) | (we can eat now.) |