Back to: Spanish Verb Tenses Practice – Course
Lesson #19: Conditional Perfect Progressive in Spanish
In this lesson, you will learn how to conjugate the Conditional Perfect Progressive in Spanish using the infinitives -ar, -er, and -ir. The Conditional Perfect Progressive is used to describe actions that would have been in progress in the past under certain conditions. It is a compound tense, formed by combining the conditional perfect of the verb estar (to be) with the gerund of the main verb.
Formation of the Conditional Perfect Progressive Tense in Spanish
The Conditional Perfect Progressive is formed by using the conditional perfect of the verb estar and the gerund (also called present participle) of the main verb.
Conjugation of the Verb “Estar” in the Conditional Perfect Tense:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation of “Estar” (Conditional Perfect) |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | habría estado |
| Tú (You, informal) | habrías estado |
| Él/Ella (He/She) | habría estado |
| Nosotros (We) | habríamos estado |
| Vosotros (You all, informal, Spain) | habríais estado |
| Ellos/Ellas (They) | habrían estado |
Gerund of the Main Verb:
- For -ar verbs, the gerund ends in -ando (e.g., hablar – hablando).
- For -er and -ir verbs, the gerund ends in -iendo (e.g., comer – comiendo, vivir – viviendo).
Conjugating Regular Verbs in the Conditional Perfect Progressive
1. -AR Verbs (e.g., Hablar – to speak)
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | habría estado hablando | I would have been speaking |
| Tú (You, informal) | habrías estado hablando | You would have been speaking |
| Él/Ella (He/She) | habría estado hablando | He/She would have been speaking |
| Nosotros (We) | habríamos estado hablando | We would have been speaking |
| Vosotros (You all, informal, Spain) | habríais estado hablando | You all would have been speaking |
| Ellos/Ellas (They) | habrían estado hablando | They would have been speaking |
2. -ER Verbs (e.g., Comer – to eat)
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | habría estado comiendo | I would have been eating |
| Tú (You, informal) | habrías estado comiendo | You would have been eating |
| Él/Ella (He/She) | habría estado comiendo | He/She would have been eating |
| Nosotros (We) | habríamos estado comiendo | We would have been eating |
| Vosotros (You all, informal, Spain) | habríais estado comiendo | You all would have been eating |
| Ellos/Ellas (They) | habrían estado comiendo | They would have been eating |
3. -IR Verbs (e.g., Vivir – to live)
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | habría estado viviendo | I would have been living |
| Tú (You, informal) | habrías estado viviendo | You would have been living |
| Él/Ella (He/She) | habría estado viviendo | He/She would have been living |
| Nosotros (We) | habríamos estado viviendo | We would have been living |
| Vosotros (You all, informal, Spain) | habríais estado viviendo | You all would have been living |
| Ellos/Ellas (They) | habrían estado viviendo | They would have been living |
Irregular Verbs in the Conditional Perfect Progressive
The Conditional Perfect Progressive uses the gerund form of the main verb, and there are no specific irregularities in the conjugation of estar. However, some verbs have irregularities in the gerund form.
Examples of Irregular Gerunds:
- Ir (to go) → yendo (going)
- Leer (to read) → leyendo (reading)
- Dormir (to sleep) → durmiendo (sleeping)
Examples with Irregular Verbs:
- Ir (to go) – Conditional Perfect Progressive
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | habría estado yendo | I would have been going |
| Tú (You, informal) | habrías estado yendo | You would have been going |
| Él/Ella (He/She) | habría estado yendo | He/She would have been going |
| Nosotros (We) | habríamos estado yendo | We would have been going |
| Vosotros (You all, informal, Spain) | habríais estado yendo | You all would have been going |
| Ellos/Ellas (They) | habrían estado yendo | They would have been going |
- Leer (to read) – Conditional Perfect Progressive
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | habría estado leyendo | I would have been reading |
| Tú (You, informal) | habrías estado leyendo | You would have been reading |
| Él/Ella (He/She) | habría estado leyendo | He/She would have been reading |
| Nosotros (We) | habríamos estado leyendo | We would have been reading |
| Vosotros (You all, informal, Spain) | habríais estado leyendo | You all would have been reading |
| Ellos/Ellas (They) | habrían estado leyendo | They would have been reading |
Usage of the Conditional Perfect Progressive
The Conditional Perfect Progressive is used to describe actions that would have been in progress in the past under certain conditions. It emphasizes the continuity or duration of the action.
Some common uses of the Conditional Perfect Progressive:
- To Express Hypothetical Ongoing Actions in the Past:
- Si hubieras trabajado más, habrías estado ganando dinero.
(If you had worked more, you would have been earning money.)
- Si hubieras trabajado más, habrías estado ganando dinero.
- To Talk About What Someone Would Have Been Doing:
- Si no hubiera estado lloviendo, habría estado jugando al fútbol.
(If it hadn’t been raining, I would have been playing soccer.)
- Si no hubiera estado lloviendo, habría estado jugando al fútbol.
- To Emphasize the Duration of a Hypothetical Action:
- A esta hora, habríamos estado estudiando para el examen.
(At this time, we would have been studying for the exam.)
- A esta hora, habríamos estado estudiando para el examen.
Conclusion
The Conditional Perfect Progressive is formed by using the conditional perfect of estar and the gerund of the main verb. This tense allows you to describe hypothetical actions that would have been in progress in the past, emphasizing the continuity or duration of the action.
Good luck with your learning process!