Spanish grammar · interactive
Spanish Si Clauses Practice
Si tengo… si tuviera… — two patterns cover almost every “if” sentence in Spanish. Drill them with instant feedback.
This Spanish si clauses practice page drills the tense pairings that make or break conditional sentences: which tense goes after si, and which goes in the result. You’ll choose forms in real sentences and get an explanation for every answer — including the combinations that are never allowed.
The short version: for real, likely conditions use si + present with a future (or present or command) result — ‘si llueve, me quedaré’; for hypotheticals use si + imperfect subjunctive with a conditional result — ‘si lloviera, me quedaría’. The conditional and the future never go directly after si.
Try the si clauses exercise
Choose the form that fits. You’ll see the pattern after each answer.
Si tiempo, iré al gimnasio.
If I have time, I’ll go to the gym.
How it works
- 1
Read the sentence
A real Spanish conditional sentence appears with one verb blanked out.
- 2
Pick the tense
Present, future, conditional, or subjunctive? Instant right/wrong feedback.
- 3
Learn the pattern
Every answer names which of the two patterns you’re in — real or hypothetical.
What you’ll learn
- The real pattern: si + present → future, present, or a command
- The hypothetical pattern: si + imperfect subjunctive → conditional
- Why ‘si + conditional’ and ‘si + future’ are never correct
- How clause order works — the si clause can come first or second
Two patterns cover almost everything
Spanish conditionals feel intimidating because they involve the subjunctive, but the system is stricter — and therefore easier — than English. Pattern one, real conditions: si + present indicative, with the result in the future, the present, or a command. ‘Si llueve, nos quedaremos en casa.’ ‘Si tienes hambre, come algo.’ Pattern two, hypotheticals: si + imperfect subjunctive, result in the conditional. ‘Si ganara la lotería, compraría una casa.’ Decide whether the condition is realistic or imagined, and the tenses follow automatically.
There’s a third pattern for regrets about the past — si + past perfect subjunctive with a conditional perfect result: ‘Si hubiera estudiado, habría aprobado’ (If I had studied, I would have passed). It’s just pattern two shifted into the past, and the same rule holds: the subjunctive lives in the si clause, the conditional in the result.
The trap: what never follows si
The single most valuable rule on this page: the future and the conditional never go directly after si in a condition. English speakers rarely make this mistake (English bans ‘if I will’ too), but learners overgeneralize the subjunctive-after-conjunctions habit or mirror the result tense: ‘si tendría tiempo’ instead of ‘si tuviera tiempo’. You’ll hear ‘si tendría’ in some regional colloquial speech, but it’s nonstandard — every textbook, exam, and careful speaker treats it as an error.
Also keep si (if) apart from sí (yes — with an accent), and note that when si merely reports a question — ‘no sé si vendrá’ (I don’t know whether he’ll come) — it isn’t a condition at all, so the future is fine there. The ban applies only to true if-then conditions. Finally, clause order is free: ‘Iría contigo si pudiera’ and ‘Si pudiera, iría contigo’ are both correct; a comma appears only when the si clause comes first.
Quick reference: si clause patterns
| Situation | Pattern (example) |
|---|---|
| Likely / real | si + present → future (Si llueve, me quedaré) |
| General truth / habit | si + present → present (Si llueve, me quedo en casa) |
| Real condition + command | si + present → imperative (Si llueve, quédate) |
| Hypothetical now / unlikely | si + imperfect subjunctive → conditional (Si lloviera, me quedaría) |
| Regret about the past | si + hubiera + participle → habría + participle (Si hubiera sabido, habría venido) |
Frequently asked questions
How do si clauses work in Spanish?
Two main patterns: real conditions use si + present with a future, present, or command result (‘Si llueve, me quedaré’); hypotheticals use si + imperfect subjunctive with a conditional result (‘Si lloviera, me quedaría’).
Can you use the future tense after si?
Not in a condition — ‘si tendré’ is wrong; use the present: ‘si tengo’. The future is fine after si only when it means ‘whether’, as in ‘no sé si vendrá’ (I don’t know whether he’ll come).
What tense goes with ‘si tuviera’?
The conditional: ‘Si tuviera dinero, viajaría.’ Si + imperfect subjunctive always pairs with a conditional result — never with the future, and never with another subjunctive in the result clause.
Is ‘si tendría’ ever correct?
No — in standard Spanish the conditional never follows si in a condition; the correct form is ‘si tuviera’. You may hear ‘si tendría’ in some regions colloquially, but it’s considered nonstandard and will be marked wrong on any exam.
Make si clauses automatic
Knowing the two patterns is step one; producing them at speed is the goal. HablaCore drills si clauses in real AI-generated sentences with instant feedback, and keeps serving the pairing you mix up.
Practice si clauses in real sentences