Oraciones condicionales: situaciones reales
![]() |
|
Share / Tweet / Pin Me! |
The first conditional is an if-then proposition that talks about a likely situation: if something happens (the condition), then something else happens (the result). The first conditional is constructed similarly in Spanish and English and can be further divided into three subcategories:
- si + present, (then) present
- si + present, (then) future
- si + present, (then) imperative
The order of the clauses can be reversed with absolutely no change in meaning as long as si / "if" stays in front of the correct verb form.
present | si + present |
future | si + present |
imperative | si + present |
Si Present, Present
This construction is useful for talking about things that happen as a rule or on a regular basis; indeed, si could be replaced by cuando (when) without really changing the meaning.
Si llueve, no trabajamos. | If it rains, we don’t work. | |
No trabajamos si llueve. | We don’t work if it rains. | |
Si no quiero leer yo miro la televisión. | If I don’t want to read I watch TV. | |
Miro la televisión si no quiero leer. | I watch TV if I don’t want to read. |
Si Present, Future
The si + present tense, future tense construction is used for events that will occur (in the future) if the condition is met (in the present).
Si tengo tiempo, yo lo haré. | If I have time, I will do it. | |
Yo lo haré si tengo tiempo. | I will do it if I have time. | |
Si estudias, serás inteligente. | If you study, you will be smart. | |
Serás inteligente si estudias. | You will be smart if you study. |
Si Present, Imperative
The si + present tense, imperative construction is used to give an order (in the imperative) dependent on the condition being met (in the present).
Si puedes, llama mañana. | If you can, call tomorrow. | |
Llama mañana si puedes. | Call tomorrow if you can. | |
(If you can’t, then don’t worry about it.) | ||
Si Ud. tiene dinero, pague la cuenta. | If you have money, pay the bill. | |
Pague la cuenta si tiene dinero. | Pay the bill if you have money. | |
(If you don’t have money, someone else will do it.) |
Test: Si clauses
Related lessons
Share / Tweet / Pin Me!