How to Tell the Difference Between the Conditional vs. the Future in Spanish

In Spanish Future vs. the Conditional it is all about what you want to say and how to form it, either written or spoken. In English, for example, we use the words, "will" or "shall" to use the future. To use the conditional forms in English we use the word, "would", and in most cases, the word "if" is inscribed as well. To say: I would be rich if I had a million dollars. We focus on the words "I would be" and it comes out: -seri'a, I would be.
In the future forms or tenses we say in English: I will be rich becomes "-sere'". Now, backing up just a bit we have to consider the unconjugated verb form or the infinitive as a stem to which endings are attached for both tenses: SER, to which we add the endings: -e',-a's, -a';, -emos,-a'n. The whole conjugation in the future becomes: sere',sera's,sera', seremos, sera'n. Not to neglect the conditional the same stem is the infinitive or SER which becomes in its translation: seri'a, seri'as,seri'a, seri'amos, seri'an. With the -ER and -IR verbs, in most cases if they are not irregular, you simply drop the R as in TENER and it changes to tendre', tendra's , tendra', tendremos, tendra'n with the commensurate translation using the words "will" or "shall". In the conditional add instead the -i'a,-i'as,i'a,etc.endings using its commensurate translation using the word "would".

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Know up front which tense you wish to use, the Future or Conditional, and know that there are prescribed endings for each, which are attached to the verb which is its stem, except for the irregular ve

How to Tell the Difference Between the Conditional and the Future in Spanish

1. Line up which tense you wish to use: the Conditional or the Future and set up your separate endings for each accordingly.

2. For the Future: take its infinitive form and attach to it, for the most part unless the verb is irregular, and add the endings: -e', -a's,
   -a', -emos, -a'n. HABLAR becomes: hablare', hablara's, etc.,but the irregualr verb TENER becomes: tendre', tendra's, etc.,noting that the endings are the same, but the stem will change with irregulars.Its translation of the verb form is "will" or "shall".

3. For the Conditional: like the future take its infitive form as a stem and instead add the endings: -i'a, -i'as, -i'a, -i'amos, -i'an and its translation is "would". For the the English: I would be rich if I had a million dollars, the "I would be" becomes: Seri'a rico,etc.

4. Keep the two tenses separate and you will take a quantum leap into two very valuable things to say in Spanish instead of relying on the present tense for everything. Spanish speakers will know in a heart beat that you cared enough to find out the diffence.

Tips & Warnings

• It is invaluable to know how to distinguish the Conditional vs. the Future in Spanish because you took the time to find out how to form each one and in the proper sequences.
• If you mean to say something in the Future in Spanish vs. the Conditional, it would behoove you to find out. Just know how to form each one and why.