What would you do if you won the lottery? Spanish uses a type of conditional sentence known as the segunda condicional (second conditional) to describe these types of scenarios, which is formed with a simple formula that we will cover today. 

banner2 PLACEHOLDER

The Second Conditional in Spanish

There are many different types of Spanish conditionals, or conditional sentences. These are sentences that describe the result "if" a certain condition were in place. They are formed with a conditional si, or "if" clause, plus a main clause, and are classified according to the likelihood of the hypothetical situation. The second conditional typically focuses on scenarios that are unlikely or hypothetical, but can also be used to make an utterance extra polite. 

The Spanish Second Conditional Formula

Let's take a look at the formula for the second conditional in Spanish:

Si + imperfect subjunctive verb + conditional verb 

If you need to learn or review these tenses or how to conjugate them, we recommend these lessons on the Spanish imperfect subjunctive tense, which describes the unlikely or hypothetical action, and the Spanish conditional tense which conveys the action(s) that "would" happen if some other condition "were" in place.

Examples of the Spanish Second Conditional 

Let's take a look at several examples of the Spanish second conditional and some situations in which it could be employed. We'll start with some sentences that describe very unlikely situations:

Si tuviera que definirla en una sola palabra, sería amor.

If I had to define her in just one word, it would be love.

Caption 22, Fermín y los gatos Mi gata Poeska

 Play Caption

Note that while the first conditional si puede venir a la oficina mañana a las nueve, la ubicaremos en su puesto enseguida (if you can come to the office tomorrow at nine, we will get you acquainted with your position right away) could also have been used in this situation, the second conditional in Spanish is sometimes chosen to infuse a sentence with extra formality. 

banner PLACEHOLDER

Reversing the Formula

In some cases, the order of the imperfect subjunctive and the conditional verbs can be flipped. Let's take a look at a couple of examples:

Pero, por eso, estamos imaginando qué pasaría si nos tocara la lotería,

But that's why we're imagining what would happen if we won the lottery,

Captions 34-35, Clase Aula Azul La segunda condicional - Part 2

 Play Caption

¿Qué harías si te encontraras un sobre con cincuenta mil euros?

What would you do if you found an envelope with fifty thousand euros?

Caption 19, El Aula Azul La Doctora Consejos: La segunda condicional

 Play Caption

That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped you to understand a very common formula for talking about hypothetical situations in Spanish. For further information on this topic, we recommend this entertaining video entitled La Doctora Consejos: La segunda condicional (Doctor Advice: The Second Conditional) by El Aula Azul, or this more in-depth lesson called La Segunda Condicional by Clase El Aula Azul. And as always... don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments. 

banner4 PLACEHOLDER

Now that you've learned how to introduce yourself in Spanish, let's go over some basic questions and answers when telling others about ourselves or asking about them. 

banner4 PLACEHOLDER

Where are you from?

Asking someone where they are from might be a common introductory question when getting to know someone. Let's take a look at both the tú (informal "you") and usted (formal "you") forms of this question: 

O, ¿de dónde eres? ¿De dónde es?

Or, where are you from? [with "tú"]. Where are you from? [with "usted"].

Captions 13-14, Karla e Isabel Tú y Usted

 Play Caption

And, what if someone asks you this question? You might use the construction Yo soy de (I'm from) to say the city, country, etc. you come from. Let's see some examples:

Yo soy de San Fernando, Cádiz.

I am from San Fernando, Cádiz.

Caption 27, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 21

 Play Caption

Yo soy de Argentina, de la provincia de Córdoba, eh... exactamente de un pueblito que se llama Río Ceballos,

I'm from Argentina, from the province of Córdoba, um... precisely from a little town called Río Ceballos;

Captions 8-9, Luana y Fede Viajes

 Play Caption

Alternatively, you might say your nationality, particularly when talking about yourself in a foreign country: 

Yo soy argentina.

I'm Argentine.

Caption 53, Carlos y Cyndy Uso del Voseo en Argentina

 Play Caption

soy español,

I'm Spanish,

Caption 2, Madrid Un recorrido por la capital de España

 Play Caption

To learn more about how to talk about nationalities in Spanish, check out this lesson on Adjectives of Nationality in Spanish. Let's explore some additional common questions/answers when getting acquainted with someone in Spanish. 

What do you do?

Another is common question you might ask or get asked is, "What do you do (for a living)"? Let's explore a few ways to ask this question:

Bueno, perdón. ¿Tú a qué te dedicas?

Well, sorry. What do you do?

Caption 48, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 5 - Part 9

 Play Caption

¿En qué trabajas tú, Inmaculada?

In what [field] do you work, Inmaculada?

Caption 31, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 12

 Play Caption

The usted versions would be "¿Usted a qué se dedica?" and "¿En qué trabaja usted?" Another possible way to ask this question is:

¿Cuál es tu/su trabajo?

What's your job? 

Now, let's look at some possible responses.

Me dedico a vender la leche.

I sell milk for a living.

Caption 2, Milkman Milk Seller, Nicaragua

 Play Caption

Yo trabajo en una tienda de ropa de segunda mano... -Ah...

I work at a second hand clothing store... -Oh...

Caption 69, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 14

 Play Caption

No, yo soy azafata.

No, I'm a flight attendant.

Caption 49, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 5 - Part 9

 Play Caption

Note that when talking about your profession in Spanish, the appropriate verb is ser ("to be" for fixed characteristics) rather than estar ("to be" for more temporary states) and that, in Spanish, unlike English, you don't include the article. For that reason, the aforementioned example reads soy azafata rather than soy una azafata. 

banner2 PLACEHOLDER

How old are you?

The ways to say "How old are you?" in Spanish are "¿Cuántos años tienes?" when using tú and "¿Cuántos años tiene?" with addressing someone with usted. Let's hear the tú version in action:

¿Tú cuántos años tienes, Mariano?

How old are you, Mariano?

Caption 69, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 6

 Play Caption

To answer this question, we use the verb tener años, which literally means "to have years," inserting the correct number of years between these two words. This is the Spanish equivalent of "being (a certain number) of years old." Let's take a look:

Tengo dieciséis años.

I'm sixteen years old.

Caption 7, Cleer Entrevista a Lila

 Play Caption

If you'd like to learn or refresh your Spanish numbers, check out the lesson The Numbers from One to One Hundred in Spanish.  

Are you married?

In this caption, you will hear both the question and answer to this question.

¿Y eres casado o soltero? Estoy casado con una mujer italiana de Nápoles.

And are you married or single? I'm married to an Italian woman from Naples.

Captions 8-9, Carlos y Xavi Part 2 Ustedes y Vosotros

 Play Caption

You might notice that in the example above, the first speaker uses the verb ser, saying "¿Y eres casado...?" instead of "¿Y estás casado?" while the second speaker uses the verb estar to answer. Although the adjective casado/a (married) is traditionally used with the verb estar, you might hear it used with ser in some Spanish-speaking regions. For more on the nuances of these two verbs, check out Ser vs. Estar- Yo Soy and Ser vs. Estar- Yo Estoy. 

Do you have kids/brothers and sisters?

We ask both of these questions with the Spanish verb tener (to have), which is conjugated as tiene with usted and tienes with tú. Let's hear how to ask these two questions with tú: 

¿Tienes hijos? -No.

Do you have children? -No.

Caption 87, Adícora, Venezuela El tatuaje de Rosana

 Play Caption

It is worth noting that, as the plural masculine noun los hermanos could refer to either just "brothers" or to both "brothers and sisters" or "siblings," you could simply say "¿Tienes hermanos?" when asking if someone has brothers and/or sisters. Similarly, los hijos could specifically mean "sons" or include both male and female "children." The singular and plural feminine nouns la(s) hermana(s) and la(s) hijas, on the other hand, refer to specifically female "sister(s)" and "daughter(s)." With that in mind, let's look at some potential answers to these questions:

Yo tengo dos hijos pequeños y...

I have two small children, and...

Caption 66, El Aula Azul Un día de surf

 Play Caption

Sí, tengo una hermana más pequeña que tiene tres años menos.

Yes, I have a younger sister who is three years younger.

Caption 6, Carlos y Xavi Part 2 Ustedes y Vosotros

 Play Caption

Let's move on to our last common question when getting to know someone in Spanish. 

banner PLACEHOLDER

What do you like to do in your free time?

Here are some possible ways to broach the topic of what people like to do when they aren't working. 

¿qué te gusta hacer?

what do you like to do?

Caption 24, Cleer Entrevista a Lila

 Play Caption

¿Qué cosas te gusta hacer en tu tiempo libre?

What do you like to do in your free time?

Caption 15, El Aula Azul Los profesores de la escuela - Part 1

 Play Caption

Or, you could simply say: "¿Qué te gusta hacer en tu tiempo libre?" A good formula for answering what you like to do is to say (a mí) me gusta (I like) or (a mí) me encanta (I love) plus a verb in the infinitive. Let's see some examples: 

Me gusta salir a rumbear...

I like to go out dancing...

Caption 15, Zoraida Lo que gusta hacer

 Play Caption

Pues, me gusta escuchar música, eh... pintar, y me gusta viajar mucho.

Well, I like to listen to music, um... paint, and I like to travel a lot.

Captions 25-26, Cleer Entrevista a Lila

 Play Caption

y me encanta ir a la playa con mis amigos.

and I love going to the beach with my friends.

Caption 39, Clara y Cristina Saludar

 Play Caption

We hope that this lesson has helped you learn some basic questions/answers for getting to know someone and telling them about yourself. Can you think of any other preliminary question you would like to learn to ask or answer in Spanish? Feel free to let us know with your suggestions and comments. 

banner4 PLACEHOLDER

Are you wondering what is why in Spanish? Or maybe you're confused about because in Spanish? You're not alone! Understanding the difference between porque and por que (along with their accented variations) can be challenging even for advanced learners.

These four distinct forms represent important concepts in Spanish:

Por qué = Why in Spanish (asking for reasons)
Porque = Because in Spanish (giving reasons)
Porqué = The reason (a noun)
Por que = For which/that (in relative clauses)

Though they look and sound similar, each has its own specific grammatical role. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the difference between why and because in Spanish, explain when to use them correctly, and help you master this tricky aspect of Spanish grammar with plenty of real-world examples.

Understanding Why and Because in Spanish: The Four Forms

Spanish has these four different forms that sound nearly identical but serve distinct grammatical functions. Let's explore what is the difference between why and because in Spanish:

banner5 PLACEHOLDER

1. Por qué (two words with an accent): The Spanish Word for "Why"

Por qué is the Spanish equivalent of "why" in English. It's the combination of the preposition por and the interrogative pronoun qué. Written as two separate words with an accent mark on qué, this form is used to ask about the cause or reason for something. Por qué introduces interrogative and exclamatory sentences, both causal and non-causal, whether direct or indirect. Let's see some examples:

Y Ekain, ¿por qué te gusta el surf?

And Ekain, why do you like surfing?

Caption 52, El Aula Azul Un día de surf

 Play Caption

No entiendo por qué los medios publican semejante mentira.

I don't understand why the media would publish such a lie.

Caption 38, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 4 - Part 12

 Play Caption

¡Y por qué no probarlo!

And why not try it?

Caption 36, María Fernanda Economía durante el COVID-19

 Play Caption

banner3 PLACEHOLDER

2. Porque (one word, no accent): The Spanish Word for "Because"

Porque is how you say "because" in Spanish. It's a single word with no accent mark. The stress falls on the first syllable. It's a conjunction used to explain the cause of something and can be substituted with phrases like ya que (since), dado que (given that), or puesto que (since).

Hoy estoy muy emocionada porque estoy aquí con Catalina García,

Today, I am very excited because I am here with Catalina Garcia,

Caption 5, Monsieur Periné Entrevista

 Play Caption

Understanding porque in Spanish is essential as it's commonly used to answer questions that start with por qué (why):

¿Y por qué no fueron donde la tal Margarita esa para traer al Duque de allá? Porque no sabemos dónde vive esa vieja.

And why didn't you go to that Margarita woman's place to bring Duque from there? Because we don't know where that lady lives.

Captions 1-2, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 5 - Part 7

 Play Caption

Porque also frequently introduces reasons without a direct question:

Te dejo porque aquí está pasando algo muy raro.

I'll let you go because something very strange is going on here.

Caption 35, Pablo Escobar, el patrón del mal Capítulo 1 - Part 2

 Play Caption

banner2 PLACEHOLDER

3. Porqué (one word with an accent): The Spanish Noun for "Reason"

Porqué is written as one word with an accent mark. It's a masculine noun meaning "reason," "cause," or "motive." As a noun, it appears with articles or other determinants and can be pluralized.

Don Pepe y doña Susana nunca entendieron el porqué de la extraña risa de su hija en su primer día de universidad.

Don Pepe and Ms. Susana never understood the reason for their daughter's strange laughter on her first day of college.

Captions 36-38, La Sucursal del Cielo Capítulo 1 - Part 11

 Play Caption

"Todo tiene su porqué".

"There's a reason for everything" [literally "Everything has its reason"].

Caption 47, Aprendiendo con Silvia Por qué, porque, por que y porqué - Part 1

 Play Caption

"No supe nunca los porqués de su separación".

"I never found out the reasons for their separation."

Caption 26, Aprendiendo con Silvia Por qué, porque, por que y porqué - Part 2

 Play Caption

In English, porqué can also sometimes be translated as "why" when referring to the reason behind something:

Y ahora os explico el porqué.

And now, I'll explain to you why.

Caption 6, San Sebastián Playa de la Zurriola

 Play Caption

banner4 PLACEHOLDER

4. Por que (two words, no accent): The Spanish Phrase for "For Which"

Por que appears in two main situations:

When que is a relative pronoun meaning "which" or "that" (you can replace it with phrases like el que/cual or la que/cual):

"La razón por que he dimitido es de dominio público". Separado y sin tilde. Podríamos decir: "La razón por la que" o "por la cual he dimitido".

"The reason why I resigned is common knowledge." Separated and without a tilde. We could say: "The reason that" or "for which I've resigned."

Captions 19-22, Aprendiendo con Silvia Por qué, porque, por que y porqué - Part 2

 Play Caption

When "por" and "que" happen to appear next to each other because "por" is required by a verb and "que" introduces a following clause:

"Son muchos los motivos por que decidió mudarse".

"There are many reasons why he decided to move."

Caption 36, Aprendiendo con Silvia Por qué, porque, por que y porqué - Part 2

 Play Caption

banner2 PLACEHOLDER

Conclusion: Mastering Why and Because in Spanish

Learning the differences between por qué, porque, porqué, and por que might seem challenging at first, but with practice, it becomes second nature. Remember these key points:

Por qué (separated, with accent) asks questions and means "why"
Porque (together, no accent) provides reasons and means "because"
Porqué (together, with accent) is a noun meaning "reason" or "the why"
Por que (separated, no accent) means "for which" or refers to the combination of the preposition "por" with the conjunction "que"

Paying attention to these distinctions will significantly improve both your written and spoken Spanish. It's one of those grammar points that, once mastered, will immediately make your Spanish sound more natural and correct.

Keep practicing by identifying these forms in Spanish videos, books, or conversations. Before you know it, you'll be using them correctly without even thinking about it!

¿Por qué estudiar estas diferencias? Porque te ayudarán a comunicarte mejor. El porqué de tu éxito será la práctica constante y la situación por que pasarás será cada vez más fácil.

 

Why study these differences? Because they'll help you communicate better. The reason for your success will be constant practice, and the situation you'll go through will be increasingly easier.

Don't forget to send us your questions and comments, and continue exploring our Spanish lessons for more insights into this beautiful language. ¡Hasta la próxima!

banner PLACEHOLDER