50 Expressing supposition
This chapter examines the concept of supposition and the verbs and phrases associated
with it.50.1 Common expressions of supposition
To express supposition, as in ‘If they come.. .’, ‘Suppose that he asks you for money’,
‘Imagine that he doesn’t accept’, ‘In case he arrives today’, ‘They must be there’, etc.,
Spanish uses a range of words and expressions, of which the most common are the
following.50.1.1 Si+ present indicative; si+ imperfect subjunctive
When expressing supposition, these two expressions with si, ‘if’, have a similar
meaning, although with the present indicative, the possibility referred to by the verb
appears as more real and likely than with the imperfect subjunctive. When using the
present indicative, the verb in the accompanying sentence will be in the future; when
using the imperfect subjunctive, the other verb will be a conditional.Si te invitan, ¿aceptarás?
If they invite you, will you accept?Si te invitaran, ¿aceptarías?
If they invited you, would you accept?¿Qué le dirás, si te llama?
What will you say to him/her if he/she calls?¿Qué le dirías, si te llamara?
What would you say to him/her if he/she called you?^51 (p. 299); 18.2.4 (p. 89)
50.1.2 Suponer/imaginar(se)/figurarse/poner+que+ subjunctive
Suponer, ‘to suppose’, and imaginar or imaginarse, ‘to imagine’, are equally common
in informal and formal contexts, whilefigurarse, ‘to imagine’, and poner, ‘to suppose’,
tend to be used in more informal contexts, especially in the spoken language.Supón que te pida dinero. ¿Se lo prestarás?
Suppose he/she asks you for money. Will you lend it to him/her?