Future, conditional & mood
Practice Flashcards
el futuro simple
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All Flashcards in Topic 3.3
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3.3.114 cards
el futuro simple
the simple future tense («will + verb»)
hablar → yo (futuro)
hablaré (I will speak)
comer → yo (futuro)
comeré (I will eat)
vivir → nosotros (futuro)
viviremos (we will live)
hablar → ellos (futuro)
hablarán (they will speak)
tener → yo (futuro)
tendré (I will have) — irregular stem tendr-
hacer → yo (futuro)
haré (I will do/make) — irregular stem har-
decir → yo (futuro)
diré (I will say) — irregular stem dir-
poder → yo (futuro)
podré (I will be able) — irregular stem podr-
salir → yo (futuro)
saldré (I will go out) — irregular stem saldr-
How do you form the regular future?
Keep the whole infinitive and add -é/-ás/-á/-emos/-éis/-án (same for -ar/-er/-ir).
Name three uses of the future tense.
Future plans, predictions, and probability/conjecture about the present («¿Quién será?»).
What is the common near-future alternative?
«ir a + infinitivo» — e.g. «voy a estudiar esta noche» means roughly the same as «estudiaré esta noche».
What are the two typical future errors?
Dropping the accent (hablare instead of hablaré) and regularising an irregular stem (teneré instead of tendré).
3.3.214 cards
el condicional
the conditional tense («would + verb»)
hablar → yo (condicional)
hablaría (I would speak)
comer → yo (condicional)
comería (I would eat)
vivir → nosotros (condicional)
viviríamos (we would live)
hablar → ellos (condicional)
hablarían (they would speak)
tener → yo (condicional)
tendría (I would have) — irregular stem tendr-
hacer → yo (condicional)
haría (I would do/make) — irregular stem har-
decir → yo (condicional)
diría (I would say) — irregular stem dir-
poder → yo (condicional)
podría (I would be able) — irregular stem podr-
me gustaría
I would like (a polite, common conditional phrase)
How do you form the regular conditional?
Keep the whole infinitive and add -ía/-ías/-ía/-íamos/-íais/-ían (same for -ar/-er/-ir).
Name three uses of the conditional.
Hypothetical «would», politeness («me gustaría», «¿podrías…?»), and the future-in-the-past («dijo que vendría»).
Which irregular stems does the conditional use?
Exactly the same nine as the future: tendr-, har-, dir-, podr-, saldr-, vendr-, querr-, sabr-, pondr-.
What is the classic conditional error?
Confusing it with the imperfect of -er/-ir verbs: comería (would eat) keeps the whole infinitive, comía (used to eat) does not.
3.3.314 cards
el presente de subjuntivo
the present subjunctive (the mood for wishes, doubt and the unreal)
hablar → subjuntivo (yo)
hable (-ar verbs take the vowel e)
comer → subjuntivo (yo)
coma (-er verbs take the vowel a)
vivir → subjuntivo (yo)
viva (-ir verbs take the vowel a)
hablar → subjuntivo (nosotros)
hablemos (we speak — subjunctive)
ser → subjuntivo
sea (irregular — to be)
ir → subjuntivo
vaya (irregular — to go)
haber → subjuntivo
haya (irregular — there be)
saber → subjuntivo
sepa (irregular — to know)
estar → subjuntivo
esté (irregular, accented — to be)
How do you build the present subjunctive?
Take the present «yo» form, drop the -o, add the opposite vowel: -ar→e, -er/-ir→a.
What is the opposite-vowel rule?
-ar verbs swap to e (hable); -er/-ir verbs swap to a (coma, viva).
Name the six irregular present subjunctives.
ser→sea, ir→vaya, haber→haya, saber→sepa, dar→dé, estar→esté.
What is the typical subjunctive-form error?
Using the indicative after a trigger (estudia instead of estudie) or forgetting an irregular (sabe instead of sepa).
3.3.414 cards
el disparador (subjuntivo)
the trigger — the phrase that calls for the subjunctive (quiero que, espero que…)
quiero que / espero que
wish/hope triggers — «Quiero que vengas» (I want you to come)
me alegro de que / es triste que
emotion triggers — «Me alegro de que estés aquí»
es importante que / es necesario que
impersonal-opinion triggers — «Es importante que descanses»
no creo que / dudo que
doubt/denial triggers — «No creo que sea verdad»
recomiendo que / pido que
influence/request triggers — «Te recomiendo que lo intentes»
ojalá (que)
«I hope / if only» — always triggers the subjunctive
para que / antes de que
conjunctions that always take the subjunctive — «para que entiendas»
creo que vs no creo que
creo que viene (indicative, affirmed) vs no creo que venga (subjunctive, doubted)
el cambio de sujeto
the change of subject — needed for «que» + subjunctive; otherwise use the infinitive
What is the golden rule for the subjunctive?
Trigger (wish/emotion/doubt/influence) + «que» + a CHANGE of subject.
When do you use the infinitive instead of «que» + subjunctive?
When both halves share the SAME subject — «quiero ir», not «quiero que vaya».
Does affirmative «creo que» take the subjunctive?
No — affirmed beliefs take the INDICATIVE («creo que viene»); only the negative «no creo que» takes the subjunctive.
Name three subjunctive trigger families.
Wish (quiero que), emotion (me alegro de que), doubt/denial (no creo que) — plus opinion, influence and «ojalá»/conjunctions.
3.3.514 cards
el imperativo
the imperative — the command form («do this!»)
hablar → mandato «tú» afirmativo
habla (speak! — same as the present «él» form)
comer → mandato «tú» afirmativo
come (eat!)
hablar → mandato «tú» negativo
no hables (don't speak! — uses the subjunctive)
comer → mandato «tú» negativo
no comas (don't eat! — uses the subjunctive)
hablar → mandato «usted»
(no) hable (speak / don't speak, formal — subjunctive)
hablar → mandato «nosotros»
hablemos (let's speak — subjunctive)
hablar → mandato «vosotros» afirmativo
hablad (speak! — plural informal)
Irregular «tú» commands
di, haz, ve, pon, sal, ten, ven, sé (say, do, go, put, leave, have, come, be)
hacer → mandato «tú»
haz (do / make!)
How is the affirmative «tú» command formed?
It's the same as the present «él» form: habla, come, vive (with eight irregulars: di, haz, ve, pon, sal, ten, ven, sé).
How are negative and formal commands formed?
They use the present subjunctive: no hables, hable usted, hablemos.
Where does the pronoun go with commands?
Attached to the affirmative (dímelo) but before the negative (no me lo digas).
What is a common imperative error?
Wrong pronoun placement, or using a bare infinitive as a command (cerrar instead of cierra).
Topic 3.3 study notes
Full notes & explanations for Future, conditional & mood
Spanish B exam skills
Paper structures, command terms & tips
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