Back to: Spanish Verb Tenses Practice – Course
Lesson: Conditional Progressive in Spanish
In this lesson, you will learn how to conjugate the Conditional Progressive in Spanish using the infinitives -ar, -er, and -ir. The Conditional Progressive is used to describe actions that would be in progress under certain conditions in the present or future. It is a compound tense, formed by combining the conditional of the verb estar (to be) with the gerund form of the main verb.
Formation of the Conditional Progressive Tense in Spanish
The Conditional Progressive is formed by combining the conditional form of the verb estar (to be) with the gerund of the main verb.
Conjugation of the Auxiliary Verb “Estar” in the Conditional Tense:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation of “Estar” |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | estaría |
| Tú (You, informal) | estarías |
| Él/Ella (He/She) | estaría |
| Nosotros (We) | estaríamos |
| Vosotros (You all, informal, Spain) | estaríais |
| Ellos/Ellas (They) | estarían |
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 Progressive
1. -AR Verbs (e.g., Hablar – to speak)
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | estaría hablando | I would be speaking |
| Tú (You, informal) | estarías hablando | You would be speaking |
| Él/Ella (He/She) | estaría hablando | He/She would be speaking |
| Nosotros (We) | estaríamos hablando | We would be speaking |
| Vosotros (You all, informal, Spain) | estaríais hablando | You all would be speaking |
| Ellos/Ellas (They) | estarían hablando | They would be speaking |
2. -ER Verbs (e.g., Comer – to eat)
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | estaría comiendo | I would be eating |
| Tú (You, informal) | estarías comiendo | You would be eating |
| Él/Ella (He/She) | estaría comiendo | He/She would be eating |
| Nosotros (We) | estaríamos comiendo | We would be eating |
| Vosotros (You all, informal, Spain) | estaríais comiendo | You all would be eating |
| Ellos/Ellas (They) | estarían comiendo | They would be eating |
3. -IR Verbs (e.g., Vivir – to live)
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | estaría viviendo | I would be living |
| Tú (You, informal) | estarías viviendo | You would be living |
| Él/Ella (He/She) | estaría viviendo | He/She would be living |
| Nosotros (We) | estaríamos viviendo | We would be living |
| Vosotros (You all, informal, Spain) | estaríais viviendo | You all would be living |
| Ellos/Ellas (They) | estarían viviendo | They would be living |
Irregular Verbs in the Conditional Progressive
In the Conditional Progressive, there are no specific irregularities in the conjugation of estar. However, as with other compound tenses, any irregular verbs in the gerund form may have exceptions. For example:
- Ir (to go) → yendo (going)
- Leer (to read) → leyendo (reading)
- Dormir (to sleep) → durmiendo (sleeping)
Examples with Irregular Verbs:
- Ir (to go) – Conditional Progressive
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | estaría yendo | I would be going |
| Tú (You, informal) | estarías yendo | You would be going |
| Él/Ella (He/She) | estaría yendo | He/She would be going |
| Nosotros (We) | estaríamos yendo | We would be going |
| Vosotros (You all, informal, Spain) | estaríais yendo | You all would be going |
| Ellos/Ellas (They) | estarían yendo | They would be going |
- Leer (to read) – Conditional Progressive
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | estaría leyendo | I would be reading |
| Tú (You, informal) | estarías leyendo | You would be reading |
| Él/Ella (He/She) | estaría leyendo | He/She would be reading |
| Nosotros (We) | estaríamos leyendo | We would be reading |
| Vosotros (You all, informal, Spain) | estaríais leyendo | You all would be reading |
| Ellos/Ellas (They) | estarían leyendo | They would be reading |
Usage of the Conditional Progressive
The Conditional Progressive is used to talk about actions that would be in progress under specific conditions in the present or future. Some of its common uses include:
- To Express Hypothetical Ongoing Actions:
- Si no estuviera lloviendo, estaría jugando al fútbol.
(If it weren’t raining, I would be playing soccer.)
- Si no estuviera lloviendo, estaría jugando al fútbol.
- To Talk About What Someone Would Be Doing:
- En este momento, estarías trabajando si no te hubieras enfermado.
(At this moment, you would be working if you hadn’t gotten sick.)
- En este momento, estarías trabajando si no te hubieras enfermado.
- To Show What Would Be Happening in the Future:
- Para el próximo mes, estaríamos viajando por Europa.
(By next month, we would be traveling through Europe.)
- Para el próximo mes, estaríamos viajando por Europa.
Conclusion
The Conditional Progressive is formed using the conditional form of estar and the gerund of the main verb. This tense allows you to express hypothetical or ongoing actions under specific conditions. Mastering this tense will enable you to describe what would be happening in a particular situation or time frame.
Good luck with your learning process!