51 Expressing conditions
This chapter deals with conditions and conditional sentences, normally expressed in
Spanish with the word si, ‘if’. In the following sections, you will learn to express basic
conditions like ‘If I have money I’ll come with you’, ‘If I had money I would come with
you’, ‘If I had had money I would have come with you’. You will also learn the Spanish
equivalent of other conditional forms such as ‘provided (that)’, ‘as long as’, ‘on
condition (that)’.18.2.4 (p. 89); 18.2.3 (p. 88)
51.1 Open conditions
In open conditions, that is, conditions which may or may not be fulfilled, e.g.
Si podemos... , ‘if we can.. .’, or conditions which may or may not be true,
e.g. Si es como usted dice... , ‘if it is as you say.. .’, we use the following
constructions:51.1.1 Si+ present + future
Here, the verb in the si-clause refers to the future but its form is that of the present,
e.g. Si tengo dinero... , ‘If I have money.. .’. The verb in the main clause, which
conveys a future action dependent on a condition, normally takes the future, e.g. iré
contigo, ‘I’ll come with you’. The si-clause usually goes in initial position in the
sentence, but for emphasis or focus the main clause may go first.Si tengo dinero iré contigo.
If I have money I’ll come with you.Si podemos lo haremos.
If we can we’ll do it.Se lo diré si lo veo.
I’ll tell him if I see him.Occasionally, in the spoken language, the verb in the main clause can take the
present instead of the future, although reference is to the future. A verb in the
present rather than the future normally conveys more resoluteness on the part of
the speaker.Si tengo dinero voy contigo.
If I have money I’ll come with you.