To talk about real possibilities and their predictable results—like what to do when a computer acts up—use si (if).
| if | si |
For likely scenarios, use si followed by the present tense, and use the present tense again for the result.
| If the program is slow, I restart the system. | Si el programa está lento, reinicio el sistema. |
| If you press the red button, you turn on the screen. | Si presionas el botón rojo, enciendes la pantalla. |
Giving instructions with "hay que"
When giving general troubleshooting advice, it is common to pair a si clause with hay que (one must / you have to).
| If the system freezes, you have to restart the computer. | Si el sistema se bloquea, hay que reiniciar la computadora. |
| If the keyboard is dirty, you have to turn off the computer. | Si el teclado está sucio, hay que apagar la computadora. |
Reflexive verbs
Pay attention to reflexive verbs like bloquearse (to freeze). Remember to place the reflexive pronoun directly before the conjugated verb.
| to freeze (computers, devices) | bloquearse |
| If the screen freezes, the teacher presses the button. | Si la pantalla se bloquea, el profesor presiona el botón. |
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