Hypothetical Conditionals — Si + Imperfect → Conditional
Hypothetical si-clauses describe unreal or unlikely situations: Si tuviera dinero, viajaría por el mundo. The imperfect subjunctive (tuviera, pudiera, fuera) pairs with the conditional. Learn the 6 key -ara/-iera irregular forms.
A lesson of Spanish B1 — Intermediate, in Conditionals & Hypotheticals, about 10 minutes.
Hypothetical Conditionals — Si + Imperfect Subjunctive → Conditional
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to form and use hypothetical conditional sentences (Type 2) that describe unlikely, imaginary, or contrary-to-fact situations.
Real vs. Hypothetical — The Key Difference
In the last lesson, we saw real conditionals (Si estudio, aprobaré). Now we deal with situations that are unlikely, impossible, or contrary to reality — the kind of daydreaming where you say "If I were rich…" or "If I had a million dollars…"
| Real Conditional | Hypothetical Conditional | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Genuinely possible | Unlikely / imaginary / contrary to fact |
| Si clause | Si + present indicative | Si + imperfect subjunctive |
| Result clause | Future tense | Conditional tense |
| Example | Si tengo tiempo, lo haré. | Si tuviera tiempo, lo haría. |
The Imperfect Subjunctive — A Quick Reference
The imperfect subjunctive is formed from the third-person plural preterite (ellos form):
- Take the ellos preterite form.
- Drop -ron.
- Add: -ra, -ras, -ra, -ramos, -rais, -ran (the -ra endings — most common).
| Verb | Ellos preterite | Subj. stem | yo form |
|---|---|---|---|
| hablar | hablaron | habla- | hablara |
| comer | comieron | comie- | comiera |
| tener | tuvieron | tuvie- | tuviera |
| ser/ir | fueron | fue- |