Unreal conditionals with "si"
In a high-stakes cooking competition, chefs are always thinking about what would happen if they did things differently. To talk about these hypothetical or unreal situations in the present or future, you use an "if" (si) clause.
The formula for this structure is: Si + [imperfect subjunctive] + [conditional].
| If the chef had this ingredient, the flavor would be better. | Si el chef tuviera este ingrediente, el sabor sería mejor. |
| If you used the pot, you wouldn't burn the soup. | Si usaras la olla, no quemarías la sopa. |
| If he were the chef we need, he would wear the apron. | Si él fuera el chef que necesitamos, usaría el delantal. |
Reversing the order
Just like in English, you can flip the order of the sentence. You can state the conditional result first, followed by si and the imperfect subjunctive. Notice that when the si clause comes second, you do not use a comma between the two halves of the sentence.
| You would burn the fish if you fried it in the old pan. | Tú quemarías el pescado si lo frieras en la sartén vieja. |
A quick spelling reminder
Don't forget that the nosotros form of the imperfect subjunctive always requires a written accent on the vowel immediately before the -ramos ending.
| If we used the raw ingredient, the flavor would be horrible. | Si usáramos el ingrediente crudo, el sabor sería horrible. |
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