What is the conditional and how is it used?

Question

I've been learning about the past and future tenses and how to use those. I keep skipping something called the conditional. What is the conditional and how is it used?

Welcome to the forum, David. Would you take a moment and fill in the areas about language proficiency in your profile. If you need help, just click on my name and send me a pm. - rac1, Mar 8, 2015

Do you know what the conditionals are in English.? 1st 2nd 3rd conditional for example. - ian-hill, Mar 8, 2015

Answer 1

If you've learned the future tense just add (ía, ías, ía, íamos, íais, ían) to it and you have the conditional - which adds 'would' to the infinitive verb. (Watch out for irregulars).

Like this using the example of comer:

comer

Comería. - I would eat.

Comerías. - You (tú) would eat.

Comería. - You (ud.), he she / would eat.

Comeríamos - We would eat.

Comeríais. - You all (vosotros) would eat.

Comerían. - You (uds., ellas/they, ellos/ they / would eat.

Answer 2

Here is a nice summary- read the whole link, I only brought over a part of it:

http://users.ipfw.edu/jehle/courses/condic.htm

1 To indicate future time within the past. (Remember that the conditional is a combination of future stem with imperfect endings.)

Dije ayer que lo haríamos hoy. Yesterday I said that we would [were going to] do it today.

The same idea could also be expressed with the imperfect of ir plus a plus the infinitive:

Dije ayer que lo íbamos a hacer hoy. Yesterday I said that we were going to do it today.

2 To indicate conjecture or probability in past time (roughly an equivalent of probablemente plus the imperfect).

¿Dónde estaría María anoche? Where do you think Mary was last night?

Estaría en casa. She was probably at home.

3 To indicate deference or softening of a statement or request. Compare these three examples:

Quiero cinco dólares. I want $5.00. [forceful, present tense] Querría cinco dólares. I would like $5.00. [deferential, conditional] Quisiera cinco dólares. I would like $5.00. [almost apologetic, imperfect subj.]

NOTE: The past subjunctive was used in the third example above to indicate deference, politeness, or an almost apologetic tone. This usage is found primarily with the verbs querer, deber, and poder:

¿Pudieras hacerlo? Could you (possibly) do it? Debieras estudiar más. (Maybe) you should study more.

4 To indicate something hypothetical (in present or future time).

¡Yo viajaría a la luna mañana (si pudiera)! I would go to the moon tomorrow (if I could)!

This type of situation will be studied below in the section on contrary-to-fact or unreal conditions

Answer 3

There are some free video lessons on SD.

Click here for a lesson on Spanish conditionals.

And here for an explanation of English conditionals.

Excellent site! - rac1, Mar 8, 2015