25 phrases to learn the Spanish conditional tense easily

11 min video

Native speakers don’t think about -ía endings: they’ve heard the conditional thousands of times. In this lesson, Lucía shares 25 everyday phrases for polite requests, advice, “what if” situations, wishes and soft opinions.

Try it yourself

Pick three phrases you could use this week. Say each one aloud, then change one word so it fits your life: Si tuviera más tiempo, aprendería…, Me vendría bien…, Yo que tú….

Watch the original lesson on YouTube, or download the free conditional cheat sheet with all 25 phrases.

The phrases at a glance

• ¿Podrías…?Could you…?
• ¿Te importaría…?Would you mind…?
• Yo que tú… / Si yo fuera tú…If I were you…
• Deberías… / Tendrías que…You should…
• Sería mejor…It would be better to…
• Si tuviera…, + conditionalIf I had…, I would…
• Preferiría… / Me encantaría… / Me gustaría…I’d rather… / I’d love to… / I’d like to…
• Me vendría bien…I could use…
• Serían las… / Habría…It must have been… / There must have been…
• Yo diría que sí. / No sabría decirte. / Podría ser.I’d say so. / I couldn’t tell you. / Maybe.

The quiz from the video

How do you say it in Spanish with the conditional?

1. You should study more.

2. I would like to travel to Spain.

3. If I could, I would travel more. (subjunctive + conditional)

4. I would say it’s fine.

5. Could you pass me the salt?

Edited lesson transcript and examples

Follow the lesson in its original order, with every Spanish phrase from the video, Lucía’s explanations and the example translations. Caption errors are repaired and music cues are left out. Time links replay each part.

• 0:00 — Why natives use the conditional so naturally
• 0:45 — Polite requests
• 1:31 — Giving advice
• 3:19 — Hypothetical situations
• 4:55 — Wishes and preferences
• 6:48 — Bonus: what someone said about the future
• 7:06 — Probability, uncertainty and soft opinions
• 9:02 — Quiz and next step

0:00 — Why natives use the conditional so naturally

Native speakers don’t stop and think “now I must use the conditional with -ía endings”. We use it naturally because we’ve heard it thousands of times in real situations. In this lesson you’ll hear 25 of the most common Spanish phrases with the conditional, so your brain gets used to hearing and using it. Stay until the end for a quiz.

The conditional is the tense with -ía endings. In English we use “would” or “could”.

0:45 — Polite requests

1. ¿Podrías hablar más despacio, por favor?
Could you speak more slowly, please?
Essential for Spanish learners.

2. Querría pedirte un favor.
I’d like to ask you a favor.

3. ¿Te importaría cerrar la puerta?
Would you mind closing the door?

4. ¿Me ayudarías con la mudanza?
Would you help me with the move?

1:31 — Giving advice

Now something Spanish people love: giving opinions and advice that nobody asked for.

5. Yo que tú, iría al médico.
If I were you, I’d go to the doctor.
Yo que tú means “if I were you”, and it’s usually followed by the conditional.

6. Si yo fuera tú, no lo haría.
If I were you, I wouldn’t do it.
Si yo fuera tú means the same as yo que tú.

7. Deberías dormir más.
You should sleep more.
Deberías, “you should”, is one of the most common conditional forms. Deberías beber más agua: you should drink more water.

8. No deberías preocuparte tanto.
You shouldn’t worry so much.
No deberías + infinitive. No deberías comer tanto azúcar: you shouldn’t eat so much sugar.

9. Sería mejor hablarlo mañana.
It would be better to talk about it tomorrow.
Sería mejor + infinitive suggests a better option.

10. Tendrías que practicar más.
You should practice more.
Tendrías que is similar to deberías, but a bit stronger.

That’s ten phrases. You can download the free PDF with all the sentences and explanations: the Spanish conditional cheat sheet.

3:19 — Hypothetical situations

11. Si tuviera dinero, viajaría por el mundo.
If I had money, I would travel around the world.
Si + imperfect subjunctive + conditional. Tuviera is the imperfect subjunctive; viajaría is the conditional. If the subjunctive scares you, don’t worry: just notice the pattern for now.

12. Si pudiera, viviría en Italia.
If I could, I would live in Italy.

13. Si fuera más alta, no llevaría tacones.
If I were taller, I wouldn’t wear heels.

14. Si tuviera más tiempo, aprendería otro idioma.
If I had more time, I would learn another language.

15. Si me tocara la lotería, me compraría una casa.
If I won the lottery, I would buy a house.

4:55 — Wishes and preferences

16. Preferiría quedarme en casa.
I’d rather stay at home.
¿Quieres salir esta noche? — Preferiría quedarme en casa. Useful when you don’t want to do the plan but want to sound polite.

17. Me encantaría ir contigo.
I’d love to go with you.
Me encantaría is stronger than me gustaría. Me encantaría hablar español con fluidez: I’d love to speak Spanish fluently.

18. Me gustaría viajar a México.
I’d like to travel to Mexico.
Use me gustaría + infinitive any time you want to say “I would like to…”.

19. Me vendría bien descansar un poco.
I could use a little rest.
Venir bien means to be good for you. Me vendría bien un café: I could use a coffee.

20. Me haría mucha ilusión verte.
I’d be so happy to see you.
Hacer ilusión doesn’t translate perfectly: it means to make you excited or really looking forward to something.

6:48 — Bonus: what someone said about the future

One structure that didn’t fit anywhere else: reporting what someone said in the past about the future.

Él dijo que vendría a la fiesta.
He said he would come to the party.

7:06 — Probability, uncertainty and soft opinions

The last five make you sound more advanced in conversation.

21. Serían las 10 cuando llegamos.
It must have been around 10 when we arrived.
The conditional can express probability in the past: you’re not 100% sure. Serían las 8 cuando empezó la película: it must have been around 8 when the movie started.

22. Habría unas 20 personas.
There must have been about 20 people.
Also probability in the past. Habría unas 20 personas en la reunión: you’re estimating.

23. Yo diría que sí.
I’d say so.
¿Crees que va a llover? — Yo diría que sí. Softer than a plain sí: “I think so, but don’t blame me if I’m wrong.”

24. No sabría decirte.
I couldn’t tell you.
A very native way to say “I don’t really know”. ¿Qué tal están los precios en ese restaurante? — No sabría decirte.

25. Podría ser.
Maybe. / It could be.
¿Crees que Ana está enfadada? — Podría ser.

9:02 — Quiz and next step

Five questions to help you remember. Try them in the practice section above, then tell us in the comments how many you got right.

Did you notice that many of these conditional sentences also use the subjunctive? Next, practice with 25 Spanish sentences using the subjunctive, so you learn it naturally too.