Si tengo, si tuviera, si hubiera tenido: three kinds of 'if'
English 'if' is one word, and its 'would' attaches to the verb without touching time. Spanish distinguishes three conditions and changes the verb in both halves of the sentence — though, helpfully, the map is the same as English's. For example: “Si tengo tiempo, paso por tu casa” — If I have time, I'll drop by your place. A rule from the Spanish course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
English 'if' is one word, and its 'would' attaches to the verb without touching time. Spanish distinguishes three conditions and changes the verb in both halves of the sentence — though, helpfully, the map is the same as English's.
The first — real. Si tengo tiempo, voy — if I have time, I will go. After si stands the ordinary present; in the second half — present or future. The main trap: after si there is never a future and never a present subjuntivo. Saying si tendré or si tenga is impossible — English 'if I will have time' tempts nobody, but the subjunctive tempts everybody.
The second — imaginary. Si tuviera tiempo, iría — if I had time, I would go. After si — imperfecto de subjuntivo (tuviera, fuera, pudiera, supiera), in the second half — condicional (iría, haría). This is about what does not exist now: money, time, health. The map is exactly English's 'if I had… I would…'.
The third — the missed chance. Si lo hubiera sabido, no habría venido — if I had known, I would not have come. This is talk about a past that cannot be redone, and the standard form of regret. The form is longer: hubiera plus participle in the first half, habría plus participle in the second. In speech both halves are often made through hubiera, and that is not a mistake.
Semantic neighbours live alongside. Como si demands the same imperfecto de subjuntivo: como si fuera fácil — as if it were easy (English keeps the same relic in 'were'). Siempre que, a condición de que — also subjuntivo: te lo dejo siempre que lo devuelvas. Aunque knows both sides: with the ordinary tense aunque llueve — 'although it is raining' (a fact), with subjuntivo aunque llueva — 'even if it rains' (a supposition). And yo que tú — 'if I were you' — drags the condicional along: yo que tú no iría.
Table
| which condition | after si | the second half | example |
|---|---|---|---|
| real | present | present or future | si tengo tiempo, voy |
| imaginary | imperfecto de subjuntivo | condicional | si tuviera, iría |
| the missed chance | hubiera + participle | habría + participle | si hubiera sabido, habría ido |
| never | future after si | — | impossible: 'si tendré' |
| never | present subjuntivo after si | — | impossible: 'si tenga' |
| as if | como si + imperfecto subj. | — | como si fuera fácil |
| provided that | siempre que + subjuntivo | — | siempre que avises |
| if I were you | yo que tú | condicional | yo que tú no iría |
By example
- Si tengo tiempo, paso por tu casaIf I have time, I'll drop by your place
- Si tuviera más sitio, me quedaría con el sofáIf I had more room, I would keep the sofa
- Si lo hubiera sabido antes, no habría comprado el billeteIf I had known earlier, I wouldn't have bought the ticket
- Habla como si fuera el jefeHe talks as if he were the boss
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Si tengo, si tuviera, si hubiera tenido: how does it work in Spanish?
English 'if' is one word, and its 'would' attaches to the verb without touching time. Spanish distinguishes three conditions and changes the verb in both halves of the sentence — though, helpfully, the map is the same as English's.
What does it look like in an example sentence Spanish?
“Si tengo tiempo, paso por tu casa” — If I have time, I'll drop by your place. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.