Hola ¿Qué tal?
En la última clase de nivel intermedio, vimos las frases condicionales. Hoy vamos a ver unas expresiones con frases condicionales.
In the last intermediate level Spanish lesson we looked at “Conditional Sentences”: what they are and how to construct them in Spanish. In this follow-on class we will look at some typical Spanish phrases that use the Conditional. These are structures that you will hear a lot in everyday Spanish conversation so it is well worth practicing with them and trying to remember as many as you can.
Remember that unlike the past, future and present tenses, the Conditional tense doesn’t always refer to a particular period of time. Verbs in El condicional don’t refer to events that definitely or necessarily have happened or are happening, they refer to hypothetical acts.
Let’s look now at the phrases:
Salvo que + subjuntivo: Unless:
• No cojas el coche salvo que sea estrictamente necesario: Don´t take the car unless it is strictly necessary
A no ser que + subjuntivo: Unless:
• No voy a ir a su fiesta a no ser que me llame: I am not going to his party unless he calls me
Excepto que + subjuntivo: Unless:
• Excepto que llueva, no estrenaré mi nuevo paraguas: I won´t use my new umbrella unless it rains
Excepto si / salvo si + (rules of “si” to know whether to use indicativo or subjuntivo): Unless:
• Te llamaré excepto si / salvo si no estoy en casa: I will call you unless I am not at home
• Pensaba que no podría volver excepto si / salvo si la situación política cambiase: I thought I couldn´t come back unless the political situation changed
Siempre que + subjuntivo: Whenever/Every time:
• Siempre que quieras: Whenever you want
Siempre y cuando + subjuntivo: Only if:
• Siempre y cuando venga: Only if he comes
Con tal de que + subjuntivo: Provided that:
• Con tal de que lo devuelvas: Provided that you return it
A condición de que + subjuntivo: On the condition that:
• A condición de que llames: On the condition that you call
Now let´s review the Spanish 3rd Conditional and see some expressions that you can use with it:
Si + pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo + condicional compuesto:
• Si hubieras estudiado habrías aprobado: If you had studied you would have passed
De + infinitivo compuesto + condicional compuesto:
• De haber estudiado habrías aprobado: If you had studied you would have passed
Si + llegar a (in present tense) + infinitive + condicional compuesto/presente de indicativo:
• Si lo llego a saber, no habría venido: If I had known it, I wouldn’t have come
• Si lo llego a saber, no vengo: If I had known it, I wouldn’t have come
Si + presente de indicativo + presente de indicativo:
• Si lo se, no vengo: If I had known it, I wouldn’t have come
I hope very much that you are enjoying my intermediate level Spanish course and are clear on all of the topics we have covered so far. If you notice that you have some gaps in your knowledge you might want to review some of the topics that I am also covering in my beginner level Spanish course which you can also find here on the Transparent Language website. If you are feeling particularly confident and want to push your Spanish on to the next level you can also take a look at my advanced level Spanish course available here on the website in which I speak and write completely in Spanish.
At whatever level you are currently at, the most important thing is to take things at your own pace and to keep yourself motivated and interested at all times.
Enjoy your Spanish!
