Imperfect vs Conditional
One of the most common mistakes for Spanish learners is confusing the Imperfect and Conditional tenses because their endings look very similar. The key difference lies entirely in the meaning.
Quick Look
comía
I was eating / I used to eat
comería
I would eat
Imperfect = Past Reality
Describes past habits, repeated actions, descriptions, or ongoing actions in the past. (Something that actually happened).
"Cuando era niño..."
(When I was a child...)
(When I was a child...)
"Cuando era niño, comía mucha fruta."
(When I was a child, I used to eat a lot of fruit.)
(When I was a child, I used to eat a lot of fruit.)
Conditional = Hypothetical
Expresses what someone would do in a hypothetical situation. (Something that depends on a condition).
"Yo que tú..."
(If I were you...)
(If I were you...)
"Yo que tú, comería más fruta."
(If I were you, I would eat more fruit.)
(If I were you, I would eat more fruit.)
-AR Verbs: Hablar (to speak)
| Subject | Imperfect | English | Conditional | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablaba | I was speaking / used to speak | hablaría | I would speak |
| tú | hablabas | you used to speak | hablarías | you would speak |
| él/ella | hablaba | he/she used to speak | hablaría | he/she would speak |
| nosotros | hablábamos | we used to speak | hablaríamos | we would speak |
| vosotros | hablabais | you all used to speak | hablaríais | you all would speak |
| ellos | hablaban | they used to speak | hablarían | they would speak |
-ER Verbs: Comer (to eat)
| Subject | Imperfect | English | Conditional | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | comía | I was eating / used to eat | comería | I would eat |
| tú | comías | you used to eat | comerías | you would eat |
| él/ella | comía | he/she used to eat | comería | he/she would eat |
| nosotros | comíamos | we used to eat | comeríamos | we would eat |
| vosotros | comíais | you all used to eat | comeríais | you all would eat |
| ellos | comían | they used to eat | comerían | they would eat |
Quick Comparison
Trabajaba mucho.
I used to work a lot.
Trabajaría más si me pagaran mejor.
I would work more if they paid me better.
Vivía en Madrid.
I used to live in Madrid.
Viviría en Madrid si tuviera dinero.
I would live in Madrid if I had money.
Golden Rule
Imperfect = was doing / used to do
Conditional = would do
Expand Your Knowledge
Need to dive deeper into past tenses? Review the rules and other past tense comparisons.
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