what does hypothesis mean in spanish

US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(hī poth ə sīz′, hi-)

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How to use ‘si’ clauses to express hypothetical situations in Spanish?

In Spanish, hypothetical situations are expressed in a two-part sentence: one part uses the word si ( " if " ) to introduce a condition or hypothesis that may or may not be fulfilled, and the other states the consequence of this condition. Hypothetical situations can be possible, unlikely, or impossible, as shown below:

Si estudias, sacarás buenas notas.

If you study, you will get good grades.

Si estudiaras, sacarías buenas notas.

If you studied, you would get good grades.

Impossible:

Si hubieras estudiado, habrías sacado buenas notas.

If you had studied, you would have gotten good grades.

Don’t be intimidated by this post’s topic, it’s not as hard as it sounds. Let me prove it to you.

Table of Contents

How to form hypothetical sentences in spanish.

To form a hypothetical sentence, we combine the two parts, or clauses No definition set for clauses Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. , discussed above. The main clause describes an action or an idea, whereas the conditional clause – headed by si ( " if " ) — introduces the condition. This condition may or may not be possible and the main clause indicates the result if the condition were fulfilled. For instance:

Si clause ⇩ condition/hypothesis

If it rains,

Main clause ⇩ result/consequence

nos quedaremos en casa.

we will stay home.

Furthermore, the tense No definition set for tense Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. used in the si clause will determine the tense used in the main clause, so we have to pay attention to the combination of tenses. In this case we used the present indicative ( llueve ) and the simple future ( quedaremos ), but there are other possibilities.

Notice that just like English, the order of the clauses is irrelevant, but when the si clause goes first, don’t forget to write a comma right before the main clause:

Si salgo, te llamaré por teléfono. = Te llamaré por teléfono si salgo.

If I go out, I will call you. = I will call you if I go out.

Don’t confuse si ( " if " ) , with no accent mark, with sí ( " yes " ) .

Let’s take a closer look at each case!

Possible hypothetical sentences

In possible hypothetical sentences, the condition or hypothesis can lead to a real result or outcome . In the example above, if I end up going out it is very likely I will make the call, hence it is a possible hypothesis.

Within the realm of possibility, we have different types that give us different meanings depending on the tense we use. Let’s start with the present:

Si + present + present

Used for actions that are very likely to happen or for universal truths.

Si tocas el fuego, te quemas .

If you touch the fire, you burn.

(Review the conjugation of the Spanish simple present here)

Si + present + imperative

Used to give orders, requests, or give suggestions.

Si sales , apaga la luz.

If you go out, turn off the lights.

Si tienes sed, ¡ toma agua!

If you’re thirsty, drink water!

(Review the conjugation of Spanish commands here)

Si + present + future

Used for actions that may or may not happen in the future, but are possible.

Si tengo tiempo, iré contigo.

If I have time, I will go with you.

Si nieva , no saldré de casa.

If it snows, I will not go out.

(Review the conjugation of the Spanish simple future here)

The future can also be expressed in the present tense or with ir a + infinitive :

Si (mañana) nieva no salgo / voy a salir de casa.

If it snows (tomorrow), I will not go out.

The future tense never goes after si in this type of hypothetical sentence. if you see a verb in the future tense after si , then it's a different structure altogether and in this case si means "whether":

No sé si saldré o no.

I don’t know whether I’ll go out or not.

It’s possible to use a verb in the past tense in the si -clause when the speaker expresses uncertainty or doubt. In this case you can use any tense in the past ( preterite , imperfect , present perfect ) paired with a verb in the present or the future in the main clause or in the imperative to give an order or request.

Si ya hablaste / has hablado con él, no insistiré en el asunto.

If you already spoke with him, I will not insist on the matter.

Si estaban tan preocupados, es mejor decirles la verdad.

If they were so worried, it’s better to tell them the truth.

Si ya terminaste de jugar, guarda tus juguetes.

If you’re done playing, put away your toys.

Notice how the condition expressed by the si clause is possible; all the previous examples talk about the possibility and a consequence that is possible in a variety of tenses.

Unlikely hypothetical sentences

In this type of hypothetical sentence, the condition or hypothesis makes the consequence unlikely to happen. These sentences express a situation that is contrary to the present truth , so there is still a slight chance that the condition will be fulfilled — even if unlikely.

In this case, similar to English, Spanish uses the present conditional tense to express the result of the condition. However, unlike English, which uses the simple past to express the condition, Spanish uses the imperfect subjunctives .

This type of sentence works like this:

Si salieras de casa ahora, llegarías a tiempo a la estación del metro.

If you left home now, you would get to the metro station on time.

Si los clientes fueran más amables, no tendrían tantos problemas.

If the clients were nicer, they wouldn’t have so many problems.

Notice that this type of condition can theoretically be achieved because it refers to present facts — that is, you can leave your house now and make it to the metro station, or the clients can change their attitude to avoid problems. However, there is another type of hypothetical sentence that uses this same structure, but with conditions that are even more remote or unfulfillable. For example:

Si ganáramos la lotería, compraríamos una casa enorme.

If we won the lottery, we would buy a huge house.

Si fuera más alto, jugaría baloncesto.

If I were taller, I would play basketball.

In the first case, the likelihood of winning the lottery is remote, especially if we don’t play the lottery. Nevertheless, it is still possible that we buy a ticket and we win it — as unlikely as that may seem — and if we did, we would buy a huge house.

In the second example, it’s not likely that I will grow taller (as an adult), therefore the possibility of playing basketball because of this condition is quite unlikely.

This type of hypothetical sentence can be used for giving advice using the expression si yo fuera tú ( " If I were you " ) , as in:

Si yo fuera tú no compraría un reloj tan caro.

If I were you I would not buy such an expensive watch.

When giving advice, the si -clause is often omitted, as it can be understood from context. For example:

Personalmente, no compraría un reloj tan caro.

Personally, I wouldn’t buy such an expensive watch.

In colloquial Spanish, you can replace “si yo fuera tú” with “yo que tú…” ( " me instead of you " ) .

Yo que tú, no saldría a estas horas.

If I were you, I wouldn’t go out at this time.

Impossible hypothetical sentence

Impossible hypothetical sentences use the Spanish pluperfect subjunctive (aka past perfect subjunctive ) to express conditions that are also contrary to the truth , but in this case a past truth . Therefore it is impossible to change the outcome.

There are two types of sentences:

Si + pluperfect subjunctive + perfect conditional

They express a situation contrary to a past truth that cannot be changed and its result had consequences in the past .

Si no hubiera salido , no habría perdido mi teléfono.

If I hadn’t gone out, I wouldn’t have lost my phone.

Si me hubieras escuchado , no habrías cometido tantos errores.

If you had listened to me you wouldn’t have made so many mistakes.

Colloquially, it is not uncommon to use the pluperfect subjunctive in both clauses:

Si no hubiera salido no hubiera perdido mi teléfono. = Si no hubiera salido, no habría perdido mi teléfono.

If I hadn’t gone out, I wouldn't have lost my phone.

Si + pluperfect subjunctive + present conditional

They express a situation contrary to a past truth, but in this case it affects the present .

Si no hubiera salido , todavía tendría mi teléfono.

If I hadn’t gone out, I would still have my phone.

Si hubieras llegado temprano al aeropuerto, ahora estarías en el avión.

If you had arrived early to the airport, you would now be on the plane.

Both unlikely and impossible sentences have something in common: they all use the imperfect or the pluperfect subjunctive, but never the present subjunctive!

Let’s review the main points:

Hypothetical sentences in Spanish are always composed of two clauses: the main clause and a clause introduced by si that expresses a condition.

Depending on the type of condition expressed by the si clause, these sentences can either be possible, unlikely, or impossible.

Possible hypothetical sentences express a possible outcome if the condition is fulfilled.

Unlikely hypothetical sentences express conditions that make the situation unlikely to happen given the present facts.

Impossible hypothetical sentences describe conditions that cannot be fulfilled anymore since they refer to past events that have already happened.

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Expressing hypothesis in Spanish

👉 how to express hypothesis in spanish, – spanish grammar basics for beginners –, i. structures expressing the hypothesis in the present.

The hypothesis can be expressed by using verbal structures such as :

* PUEDE QUE + Subjunctive * ES POSIBLE QUE + Subjunctive * PUEDE SER QUE + Subjunctive * A LO MEJOR + INDICATIVE

These phrases can be translated into English as “Perhaps…” or “It is possible that…”

• – Es posible que este enfermo ==> It is possible that he is ill.
• – Puede que no me haya escuchado ==> It is possible that he did not listen to me.
• – Puede ser que tu padre haya salido un rato ==> It is possible that your father went out for a while.
• – A lo mejor está cansado ==> Maybe he is tired.

II. Locutions and adverbs

The hypothesis can also be expressed with an adverb or a phrase such as: Acaso, quizá(s) , or tal vez. CAUTION : If the adverb is placed before the verb, the latter is conjugated in the subjunctive. If it is placed after the verb, the indicative is used.

– Quizás tenga vergüenza ==> Perhaps he is ashamed. ==> Quizás is placed before the verb, the subjunctive is used

– Tiene quizás vergüenza ==> Perhaps he is ashamed. ==> Quizás is placed after the verb, the indicative is used

III. Hypothesis with “si”

In Spanish, we can also express the hypothesis (and the condition) using a subordinate introduced by “si”.

ATTENTION to respect the concordance of the tenses: ==> If the structure SI + present indicative is used in the subordinate, the verb of the main subject will be in the present or future indicative.

• Si viene , le recibiremos ==> If he comes, we will receive him.

==> If the structure SI + imperfect indicative is used in the subordinate, the verb of the main sentence will be in the present conditional.

• Si pensaba en mi futuro, me sentía optimista ==> If I thought about the future, I felt optimistic.

==> If we use SI + past perfect in the subordinate, the verb of the main text will be in the past conditional.

• Si hubiera venido, le habríamos recibido ==> If he had come, we would have received him.

IV. Use of the future tense to express the hypothesis

Use of the future tense to express the hypothesis

• Maria ha sido recibida en la mejor escuela de arte, estará contenta ==> Maria got into the best art school, she must be happy. (Hypothesis in the present tense)
• Nos llegaron todavía, ¿ Que habrá sucedido ? ==> They haven’t arrived yet, what could have happened? (Hypothesis in the present tense)
• Está cansado hoy, habrá tenido un fin de semana agitado ==> He’s tired today, he must have had an eventful weekend. (Hypothesis in the past)
• No vino a la cita, estará ocupado con otra cosa ==> He didn’t come to the appointment, he must have been busy with something else. (Hypothesis in the past tense).

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The Conditional tense and how to make hypothesis 1

• CONDITIONAL

The conditional tense is frequently used to express the probability, possibility, wonder or conjecture and is usually translated as would, could, must have or probably.

1. The stem is the same as for the future tense , that is, the infinitive form of the verb.

2. The endings are: ía, ías, ía, íamos, íais, ían. Same endings for the 3 conjugations. Look at the example:

The same verbs that are irregular in the future tense are also irregular in the conditional tense. The endings don’t change, but the stem change in the same way it change in the future tense. Check this article for the irregularities.

There are several ways in which the conditional is used in Spanish:

1. To express the future from the perspective of the past.

Estaba seguro de que vendrían . I was sure they would come.

2. To express conjecture or probability in the past.

Estamos buscando piso. La semana pasada visitaríamos más de 15 apartamentos. We are looking for a flat. Last week we must have visited more than 15 apartments.

3. For polite use, to indicate softening of a statement or request.

Perdone, ¿ podría acercarme este libro de la estantería de arriba? Yo no alcanzo. Excuse me, could you give that book from the top shelf? I can’t reach it.

4. To express hypothetical actions or events (in present or future times).

Iría a Chile a visitarte si tuviera tiempo, pero tengo que trabajar en la empresa. I’d go to visit you if I had time, but I have to work in the enterprise.

• CONDITIONAL PERFECT

The conditional perfect tense is formed with the conditional of the verb “ haber ” and the past participle.

It is used mainly to express something hypothetical or unreal in the past.

Te habría acompañado al dentista, pero no me avisaste que ibas. I would have accompanied you to the dentist but you didn’t let me know you were going.

• MAKING HYPOTHESIS

There are 3 types: real, potential or possible, and irreal.

The usual link is “si”, although there are others.

REAL CONDITION

Express facts or actions which may actually come about or, at least, are viewed as a possibility. The conditional clause goes in indicative (never future) and the main clause goes in indicative (present, future).

Si practicas mucho mejorarás . If you practice a lot you’ll improve.

Si has practicado mucho mejorarás . If you have practiced a lot you will improve.

Si practicas , mejoras . If you practice, you improve.

POTENTIAL CONDITION

Shows the facts as unreal in the present or very unlikely in the future. The conditional clause goes in “pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo” and the main clause in conditional.

Si practicaras más a menudo mejorarías . If you practiced more often you would improve.

UNREAL CLAUSE

Shows unreal / impossible facts in the past. The conditional clause goes in “pretérito pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo” and the main clause in conditional perfect.

Si hubieras practicado más habrías mejorado . If you had practiced more you would have improved.

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Using the conditional in Spanish to express hypothesis/wish/suggestion in the present or future

In Spanish, El Condicional Simple is used to express something hypothetical, not real, that might happen in the present or the future. 

This use happens generally in two different contexts:

El Condicional Simple when expressing a wish/intention

Ahora mismo me comería un helado grande. Hace mucho calor. Right now I'd eat a big ice cream. It is very hot.

Mañana me quedaría en casa y no iría a trabajar. Tomorrow I would stay at home and wouldn't go to work.

In the examples above the speaker is expressing a wish that something will happen or an intention either at the moment of speaking or in the future.

El Condicional Simple when suggesting or giving advice

Yo que tú, me pondría  ese bikini tan bonito. El bañador es más feo. If I were you, I'd wear that pretty bikini. The swimming costume is uglier.

Yo que ella, rompería con Eduardo. No la trata muy bien. If I were her, I'd break up with Eduardo. He doesn't treat her very well.

No puedo decidirme. Eva, ¿cuál comprarías tú? ¿el rojo o el negro? I can't make up my mind. Eva, which one would you buy? The red one or the black one?

Pues, yo me compraría el rojo. Es más barato. Well, I'd buy the red one. It is cheaper.

It is common to find  "Yo que tú...", "Yo que él..." ( If I were you..., If I were him... )  in the first part of the sentence, to direct the suggestion/advice to someone specific. This phrase is equivalent to the conditional phrase "Si yo fuera tú...", "Si yo fuera él..."  ( If I were you..., If I were him... ) .

Verbs conjugated in the conditional tense take the written accent [ ´ ] on the  -í  of the endings, e.g. comprar í a, comprar í as, comprar í a, comprar í amos, comprar í ais, comprar í an.

Conjugate regular verbs in the conditional in Spanish (El Condicional Simple)

Using the Spanish imperfect subjunctive in hypothetical clauses introduced by si followed by the Spanish conditional simple

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Learn more about these related Spanish grammar topics

• El Condicional Simple

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Si Clauses in Spanish: 5 minute Guide to The Hypothetical

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You may have heard about this concept before, but what exactly are Spanish Si clauses ?

In this post, we’ll explore exactly what we mean by si clauses in Spanish and how they are used to for many hypothetical situations, whether it’s expressing a possibility, probability, wishes, excuses, suggestions, requests, and more.

To better understand this concept, let’s take a look at si clauses in action:

• If you do your homework, you can leave → Si  haces tu tarea, puedes irte.
• If you are not busy tomorrow, can you help me? → Si no  estás ocupado mañana, ¿puedes ayudarme?
• If you eat a lot of wasabi, you can get sick → Si  comes mucho wasabi, te puedes enfermar.

It may help to think of  si clauses  as similar to if clauses  in English.

In Spanish, they can refer to the present, past or future (i.e many tenses) in both the indicative and subjunctive mood.

(not familiar with the subjunctive? we recommend checking out this  post)

How To Form Spanish Si Clauses?

Each sentence that contains a si clause is made up of two parts:

1) the condition that may or may not be fulfilled

2) the result or consequence if the condition expressed by the si clause occurs.

• If  you were here, I would visit you → Si  estuvieras aquí, te visitaría.
• Don’t go to school, if  you are sick → No vayas a la escuela, si estás enfermo.
• If  you don’t study, you won’t be able to pass the exam → Si no  estudias, no podrás pasar el examen.

Si clauses  can be affirmative or negative as you can see above:

• If … not/don’t  → Si no

Now we have a good idea about how they’re formed, we’ll finish by reviewing the different ways in which si clauses can be used.

Five Different Ways To Use Spanish Si Clauses

1. Si Clauses in the present tense.

When both sentences are in present, they indicate that when performing one action, another one will be executed immediately

Formula: (si + present verb + result in present)

• If  I’m hungry , I’ll eat → Si tengo hambre, yo como.
• If  I get sick , I’ll go  to the doctor → Si me  enfermo , voy al doctor.

2. Si clauses combined: Present and future tense.

For an action in the future to take place, it will depend on whether an action in the present is concluded.

Formula: (Si + present verb + complement + result in future tense)

• If you leave  your suitcase ready, you will have  more time before going to the airport → Si dejas  tu maleta lista, tendrás  más tiempo antes de ir al aeropuerto.
• If you don’t  take care of your cell phone, you will  lose it → Si no  cuidas tu celular, lo perderás.

3. Si clauses in present with an imperative result.

A good example of si clauses with commands .

Formula: (Si + present verb + result in imperative)

• If you want  to quit, do it → Si quieres  renunciar, hazlo
• If you are  sleepy, go to sleep → Si tienes  sueño, duerme
• If you want to  travel, save money → Si quieres  viajar,  ahorra dinero

4. Si clauses formed with subjunctive mood and conditional.

If something happened in the past, it will cause an action in the future to be carried out.

Formula: (Si + verb in past imperfect subjunctive + simple conditional)

• If the boss were  friendlier, the employees would not resign →  Si  el jefe fuera  más amable, los empleados no renunciarían.
• If you had  saved money, you would have  enough to go on vacation → Si hubieras  ahorrado dinero, tendrías  suficiente para irte de vacaciones.

(Learn more about conditional sentences in Spanish here )

5. Si Clauses with pluperfect subjunctive and the conditional

The concept is similar to the previous one, but both conjugations are in the past.

It expresses that an action in the past did not occur, as a result of a preceding action not carried out.

This combination is useful for excuses :)

Formula: (SI+ pluperfect subjunctive + conditional compound)

• If I hadn’t been  tired,  I would have gone  to dinner with you → Si no hubiera   estado  cansado, habría ido  a cenar con ustedes.
• If I had  more money, I would have stayed  another month in Colombia → Si hubiera tenido  más dinero, me habría quedado  otro mes en Colombia.

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