Si Clauses - Spanish If-Then Clauses: Impossible Situations

Spanish si clauses, also known as conditionals or conditional sentences, are used to express what could happen if some condition is met. There are three different kinds of si clauses. In this lesson, we'll look at the least common type of si clause: impossible situations. This construction is used when referring to something that would have happened if some condition had been met. Since the condition was not met, the result clause is impossible.

The impossible si-clause, known as the third conditional, is expressed as follows: the condition clause (which starts with si) requires the pluperfect subjunctive, while the result clause takes either the pluperfect subjunctive or the conditional perfect. The order of the clauses is unimportant.

For example...

Si hubiera sabido, hubiera ido (or habría ido) contigo. - If I had known, I would have gone with you.
Hubiera ido (or Habría ido) contigo si hubiera sabido - I would have gone with you if I had known.
(I hadn't known, so I didn't go with you, but if I had [impossible], I would have.)

¿Hubieras (or habrías) comprado el libro si te hubiera dicho? - Would you have bought the book if I had told you?
¿Si te hubiera dicho, hubieras (or habrías) comprado el libro? - If I had told you, would you have bought the book?
(I hadn't told you, so you didn't by the book, but if I had [impossible], would you have?)

First conditional     Second conditional

Pluperfect subjunctive     Conditional perfect

Intro to Si Clauses     Test on Si Clauses

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