Yo, en tu lugar, me quejaría a la gerencia.
If I were you, I’d complain to the management.
Si estuviera en tu lugar, no la perdonaría.
If I were in your place, I wouldn’t forgive her.
18.2.4 (p. 89); 51.2 (p. 301)67.1.2 ¿Por qué no?+ present
¿Por qué no... ?, ‘Why don’t you... ?’, is another common phrase for giving advice or
suggesting a course of action not involving the speaker. It is especially frequent in
informal spoken language, but it is also heard in formal address.
¿Por qué no lo compras?
Why don’t you buy it?
¿Por qué no preparas una sopa?
Why don’t you prepare a soup?
¿Por qué no se lo decís?
Why don’t you tell him/her?
¿Por qué no la entrevista?
Why don’t you interview her?67.1.3 Imperative
Advice and suggestions not involving the speaker are also made with the imperative.
This is common in informal language, both spoken and written. In formal language
other forms are preferred.
16.1.1.6 (p. 62); 17.13 (p. 81)
¡Cómpraselo! Está barato.
Buy it! It’s cheap.
¡Explícale lo que pasó! No se enfadará.
Explain to him/her what happened. He/she won’t get annoyed.
Si vas a Sevilla, llama a María.
If you go to Seville, call María.67.1.4 Podría(s)+ infinitive
This construction with podría(s), ‘you could’, a conditional form of poder, ‘can’, ‘to
be able to’, is used in informal and formal address, in spoken as well as in written
language.
Podrías estudiar historia.
You could study history.
Podrían comprar un apartamento en este barrio.
You could buy an apartment in this area.
Vd. podría pasar por mi oficina el lunes, si le parece bien.
You could come round to my office on Monday, if that’s all right with
you.
21.1 (p. 99)GIVING ADVICE AND MAKING SUGGESTIONS 67.1