The Conditional Perfect tense in Spanish allows you to discuss actions that would have happened in the past, given certain conditions. For the second largest group of Spanish verbs—those ending in -er—forming this tense is a breeze once you know the pattern.
Simple Steps to Form the Past Participle
- Drop the -er ending.
- Add -ido to the verb stem. Example: comer (to eat) → comido (eaten)
Building the Conditional Perfect Tense
This tense has two parts:
- The conditional form of the verb haber (to have)
- The past participle of your main verb
Formula: haber (conditional) + past participle
Conjugating the Helping Verb haber in the Conditional
| Pronoun | Conditional Form |
|---|---|
| Yo | habría |
| Tú | habrías |
| Él/Ella/Usted | habría |
| Nosotros | habríamos |
| Vosotros | habríais |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | habrían |
Example: Conditional Perfect of comer (to eat)
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | habría comido | I would have eaten |
| Tú | habrías comido | You would have eaten |
| Él/Ella/Usted | habría comido | He/She/You would have eaten |
| Nosotros | habríamos comido | We would have eaten |
| Vosotros | habríais comido | You all would have eaten |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | habrían comido | They/You all would have eaten |
Other Common Regular -er Verbs in Action
- beber (to drink) → bebido
- aprender (to learn) → aprendido
- correr (to run) → corrido
- vender (to sell) → vendido
Putting the Conditional Perfect to Use
This tense often shows up in “if” clauses (conditional sentences) to explore what could have been:
- “Si hubiera tenido tiempo, habría comido más.” (If I had had time, I would have eaten more.)
By mastering the Conditional Perfect with regular -er verbs, you’ll unlock a new level of fluency, able to express those “what if” moments of the past with confidence.
Synonyms:
- English: Regular -ER Verbs in Compound Conditional
- Spanish: Verbos Regulares en -ER en Condicional Perfecto, Condicional Compuesto, Pospretérito Perfecto