In Spanish, the conditional perfect (condicional compuesto en español) is used in the same situations as the conditional simple with the exception that the conditional perfect refers to actions that would have happened but did not because of an action/event.
Subject Exercises:
Conditional Perfect Tense Exercise 1
Conditional Perfect Tense Exercise 2
The conditional perfect is formed by the infinitive Haber in conditional perfect (Habría) and the past participle of the verb. The equivalent in English of the conditional perfect is the infinitive would have and the past participle of the verb to be conjugated.
Spanish Conditional Perfect Tense Conjugation
| Pers. Pronoun | Haber in the Conditional Perfect | Verb in the Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | habría | comprado |
| Tú | habrías | comprado |
| Él,Ella, Uds. | habría | comprado |
| Nosotros/Nosotras | habríamos | comprado |
| Vosotros/Vosotras | habríais | comprado |
| Ellos/Ellas, Uds. | habrían | comprado |
Important:
All the conditional perfect forms of Haber have accent marks in the -i.
Examples:
Me habría gustado ir a la fiesta contigo.
I would have liked to go to the party with you.
A mis padres le habrían encantado los chocolates.
My parents would have loved the chocolates.
Habría ido a la tienda pero no tuve tiempo.
I would have gone to the store but I did not have time.
Uses of the Conditional Perfect Tense in Spanish
The conditional perfect (condicional compuesto en español) is used in the same situations as the conditional simple with the exception that the conditional perfect refers to actions that would have happened but did not because of specific actions/events. The equivalent in English of the conditional perfect is the infinitive would have and the past participle of the verb to be conjugated.
- For situations that were expected to happen but did not:
-Carlos y Juan habrían salido a bailar pero empezo a llover.
Carlos and Juan would have gone dancing but it started raining.
–Habríamos ido al cine pero me dolía mucho la cabeza.
We would have gone to the movies but I had a headache.
- For an action/event that did not happen followed by an if-clause:
Luisa y Manuel habrían ido a la playa sino hubiera llovido.
Luisa and Manuel would have gone to the beach if it had not rained.
In the example above, the if-clause serves as the situation that prevented the action from taking place. The if-clause in this sentence can also be used in the beginning of this sentence:
Si no hubiera llovido, Luisa y Manuel habrían ido a la playa.
If it had not rained, Luisa and Manuel would have gone to the beach.
The conditional perfect expresses wonder, probability and supposition.
Examples:
¿Habrían ido mis tías la casa?.
I wonder if my aunts had gone to the house.
Ellos a esta hora ya habrían terminado el reporte.
They would have finished the report by now.
Habríamos visitado ya como cinco museos.
We have probably visited about five museums by now.
Spanish Compound Tenses:
The Present Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Subjunctive Tense
Conditional Perfect Tense
Past Participle in Spanish
Past Perfect / Pluperfect
Past Perfect / Pluperfect Subjunctive Mood
Future Perfect Tense
Perfect Infinitive in Spanish
