Breakdown of Si el precio sube, buscaré otra opción más barata.
yo
I
si
if
buscar
to look for
el precio
the price
la opción
the option
subir
to go up
otra
another
más barata
cheaper
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Questions & Answers about Si el precio sube, buscaré otra opción más barata.
What type of conditional is this and what’s its structure?
This is a first conditional (a real or possible condition for the future). The structure is Si + present indicative, then future indicative.
Why is the present indicative used with si instead of the subjunctive?
In real, likely conditions (Type I), Spanish uses present indicative after si. The subjunctive only appears after si in hypothetical or unreal conditions (Type II or III).
Why does the main clause use the simple future “buscaré” and not something like “voy a buscar”?
Both are correct. Buscaré (simple future) is more formal or concise, while voy a buscar (periphrastic future) is very common in spoken Spanish for near-future actions.
Can I swap the order of the clauses and drop the comma?
Yes. If you put the si clause second, you write Buscaré otra opción más barata si el precio sube without a comma.
Why is it más barata? Why not just barata?
Más barata means cheaper, implying a comparison with the original price. Barata alone means cheap without that comparative sense.
Why does más have an accent?
Más (with an accent) means more or forms the comparative (cheaper). Mas (without an accent) is an old conjunction meaning “but,” which is not what we need here.
Why is it otra opción and not otro opción?
Because opción is feminine, so its modifier must agree in gender: otra (feminine) + opción (feminine).
Could I use another verb instead of sube for “goes up”?
Yes. You can say aumenta (increases) or incrementa, but subir is very common in everyday Spanish when talking about prices going up.
How would I express a hypothetical or less likely condition here?
Use the imperfect subjunctive in the si clause and the conditional in the main clause:
Si el precio subiera, buscaría otra opción más barata.
Can I say buscaré algo más barato instead? What’s the nuance?
Buscaré algo más barato means I’ll look for something cheaper, but it’s more vague. Otra opción más barata specifies a different option (e.g., another product or offer).