En esta lección, aprende a conjugar el condicional con verbos irregulares como hacer → haría, tener → tendrías y querer → querría, expresando deseos y posibilidades futuras.
  1. The irregular conditional changes the verb stem but adds the regular endings: -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían.

 

Grupo (Group)Ejemplos de verbo (Verb examples)Ejemplo de conjugación (Example of conjugation)
Eliminar vocal (Remove vowel)

Saber → sabr-

 Haber → habr-

Hacer → har-

Ella sabría cuentas de hadas, estoy segura. (She would know fairy tales, I am sure.)
Añadir consonante (Add consonant)

Tener → tendr-

Salir → saldr-

Venir → vendr-

¿Tú vendrías con nosotros a sacar la tarjeta de biblioteca? (Would you come with us to get the library card?)
Raíz irregular propia (Irregular stem)

Querer → querr-

 Poder → podr-

 Decir → dir-

Yo querría ir hoy a la sala de lectura. (I would like to go to the reading room today.)

Exercise 1: Condicional: Los verbos irregulares

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

habría, Haría, diría, Saldríamos, Podrías, Pondría, Vendría, Sabrías

1. Poner:
: ... este cuento en la sección infantil.
(I would put this story in the children's section.)
2. Hacer:
: ... una lista de novelas para el verano.
(I would make a list of novels for the summer.)
3. Poder:
: ... investigar más sobre ese escritor famoso.
(You could research more about that famous writer.)
4. Haber:
: No ... tantos libros sin el catálogo digital.
(There wouldn't be so many books without the digital catalogue.)
5. Venir:
: ... a la biblioteca cada semana si puedo.
(I would come to the library every week if I can.)
6. Salir:
: ... de la librería con muchos cuentos nuevos.
(We would leave the bookshop with many new stories.)
7. Decir:
: El bibliotecario ... dónde está la sala de lectura.
(The librarian would say where the reading room is.)
8. Saber:
: ... más si leyeras literatura clásica
(You would know more if you read classical literature)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct option with conditional tense using irregular verbs in Spanish. Pay attention to the irregular stem and endings. Correct common mistakes students usually make in this structure.

1.
Error: La raíz irregular de 'hacer' en condicional es 'har-', no 'hac-'.
Error: La terminación '-ía' se repite dos veces, la forma correcta es 'haría'.
2.
Error: Falta tilde en la terminación '-ías' del condicional.
Error: No se debe usar el infinitivo 'venir' con terminaciones de condicional; hay que usar la raíz irregular 'vendr-'.
3.
Error: El sustantivo debe estar en plural 'cuentos' para concordar con 'libro de cuentos'.
Error: No se debe usar la preposición 'a' después de 'sabría' en este contexto.
4.
Error: 'Libro' debe estar en plural 'libros' para concordar con el verbo y el contexto.
Error: 'Tendremos' está en futuro; la oración requiere condicional para expresar hipótesis o posibilidad.

Conditional Tense: Irregular Verbs in Spanish

This lesson focuses on the use and formation of the condicional (conditional tense) with irregular verbs in Spanish. It is suited for A2 level learners who want to express wishes, possibilities, hypotheses, or hypothetical consequences with verbs that do not follow the regular conjugation pattern.

Understanding the Conditional Tense

The conditional tense in Spanish expresses what would happen under certain conditions, desires, or assumptions. For example, it is common to say:

  • Ella sabría cuentas de hadas, estoy segura. (She would know fairy tales, I’m sure.)
  • ¿Tú vendrías con nosotros a sacar la tarjeta de biblioteca? (Would you come with us to get a library card?)
  • Yo querría ir hoy a la sala de lectura. (I would like to go to the reading room today.)

How Irregular Verbs Change in the Conditional

Unlike regular verbs that keep their infinitive base, irregular conditional verbs modify their stem but keep the regular conditional endings: -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían.

Groups of Irregular Verb Stems

  • Dropping the vowel: saber → sabr-, haber → habr-, hacer → har-
  • Adding a consonant: tener → tendr-, salir → saldr-, venir → vendr-
  • Irregular unique stems: querer → querr-, poder → podr-, decir → dir-

Examples and Usage Highlights

Use the conditional to:

  • Express polite requests or hypothetical offers: Yo haría la reserva para asistir a la presentación.
  • Talk about hypothetical or uncertain events: Nosotros tendríamos que estudiar más si queremos un buen resultado.
  • Express wishes or desires politely: Ella sabría recomendarte un buen libro.

Important Note on Differences Between English and Spanish Conditional

In Spanish, the conditional endings are attached to the irregular stem of the verb, not the infinitive. This differs from English, where "would" is a separate word followed by the base form of the verb. For example, Spanish querría corresponds to English "I would want" but is expressed as a single inflected word.

Useful phrases and their English equivalents for reference:

  • ¿Tú vendrías conmigo? — Would you come with me?
  • Yo haría eso mañana. — I would do that tomorrow.
  • Nosotros tendríamos tiempo si salimos ahora. — We would have time if we leave now.

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Lea Pessara

Multilingual communication, focus on business and law

Cologne University of Applied Sciences

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Last Updated:

Tuesday, 02/09/2025 03:06