A2 · Conditional sentences
First conditional: si + present
si plus present, and the main clause takes present, future or imperative.
At a glance
- Remember
- Present after si, future in the main clause — the same rule your own language keeps.
- Form
- Si llueve, no salimos.present + present
- Signal words
- si
- siempre que
- en caso de que
- con tal de que
- Trap
- Wrong:Si tendré tiempo, te llamaré.Right:Si tengo tiempo, te llamaré.
Your turn
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The form
How the forms are built
Each row gives the meaning first, then the form in Spanish. The colours show what changes from one form to the next.
stem (regular) stem (irregular) person ending ending for tense and person negation
| present + present | Si llueve, no salimos. |
| present + future | Si llueve, nos quedaremos en casa. |
| present + ir a | Si llueve, vamos a quedarnos. |
| present + imperative | Si llueve, coge el paraguas. |
| general rule | Si no duermes, te cansas. |
| comma only when fronted | Ven si puedes. |
| I have | (yo) tengo |
| you have (tú) | (tú) tienes |
| he, she has / you have (usted) | (él, ella, usted) tiene |
| we have | (nosotros) tenemos |
| you have (vosotros) | (vosotros) tenéis |
| they have / you have (ustedes) | (ellos, ellas, ustedes) tienen |
| I will call | (yo) llamaré |
| you will call (tú) | (tú) llamarás |
| he, she will call / you will call (usted) | (él, ella, usted) llamará |
| we will call | (nosotros) llamaremos |
| you will call (vosotros) | (vosotros) llamaréis |
| they will call / you will call (ustedes) | (ellos, ellas, ustedes) llamarán |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
The si-clause takes the present indicative.
Si tengo tiempo, te llamo.If I have time, I will call you.
The main clause may be present, future or imperative.
Si vienes, te enseñaré la ciudad.If you come, I will show you the city.
For a habit, both halves are present.
Si hace sol, comemos en la terraza.If it is sunny, we eat on the terrace.
The comma goes in only when the si-clause comes first.
Llámame si necesitas algo.Call me if you need anything.
Example sentences
Si terminas pronto, podemos ir al cine.If you finish early, we can go to the cinema.
Si no te gusta, dímelo.If you do not like it, tell me.
Si el tren llega tarde, te aviso.If the train is late, I will let you know.
Te ayudo si me lo pides.I will help you if you ask me to.
6 more example sentences
Si quieres, te acompaño.If you like, I will come with you.
Si no llueve, iremos a la playa.If it does not rain, we will go to the beach.
Si ves a Marta, salúdala de mi parte.If you see Marta, say hello from me.
Si comes tanto, te va a doler la barriga.If you eat that much, you will get stomach ache.
Avísame si cambia algo.Let me know if anything changes.
Si hace frío, ponte el abrigo.If it is cold, put your coat on.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
The future gets put after si, because the condition is plainly in the future: Si tendré tiempo. English blocks the identical sentence — nobody says «if I will have time» — so the rule is already known, only not yet transferred. The si-clause is present, the future goes in the other half: Si tengo tiempo, te llamaré.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
If the condition can come about, the si-clause takes the present indicative. The main clause takes the present, the future, ir a or the imperative, depending on what is meant: Si llueve, no salimos. This is the first conditional, with the same two halves in the same two places.
The prohibition is the same too. English does not allow «if it will rain», and Spanish does not allow si lloverá. The future belongs in the main clause and nowhere else — a rule worth noticing precisely because you are already keeping it in your own language without thinking about it.
One difference is on the page rather than in the grammar. English writes a comma when the if-clause comes first and none when it follows, and Spanish does exactly the same: Si puedes, ven. against Ven si puedes. The order itself is free in both.
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