Second Conditional - If I were rich, I would...

Si Clauses: Second Conditional

Oraciones condicionales: situaciones potenciales

The second conditional is an if-then proposition that expresses an unlikely situation: if something happened (the condition), then something else would happen (the result). The condition is expressed with the imperfect subjunctive, and the potential result is indicated with the conditional.

The order of the clauses makes no difference as long as si / "if" stays in front of the correct verb form:

• si + imperfect subjunctive, then + conditional
• conditional, si + imperfect subjunctive

Note: Though it might seem counter-intuitive, the conditional mood does not indicate the condition, but rather the result.

Por ejemplo …

Si tuviera dinero, iría contigo.		If I had money, I would go with you.
Iría contigo si tuviera dinero.		I would go with you if I had money.
(I don’t have any money so I can’t go, but if I did [unlikely], I would be able to.)
Si fueras con nosotros, podrías ver a tu hermano.		If you went with us, you could see your brother.
Podrías ver a tu hermano si fueras con nosotros.		You could see your brother if you went with us.
(You say you don’t want to go with us, so you won’t see your brother, but if you did go with us [unlikely], you would see him.)

Practice your Second Conditional sentences here.