Peticiones y sugerencias corteses

Polite requests and suggestions in Spanish: using the conditional and the subjunctive

This guide explains how Spanish speakers use the conditional and the subjunctive (usually introduced by que) to make polite requests and suggestions. You will learn what each structure means, when to use it, how to form it, and common mistakes to avoid. Most examples are in Spanish with an English translation.

What does it mean to use the conditional or the subjunctive for politeness?

Spanish softens commands and direct statements in several ways. Two of the most useful tools are:

- The conditional mood (would / could): it softens a request or suggestion so it sounds less direct and more polite. Example patterns: ¿Podrías...?, ¿Podría...?, Me gustaría..., Querría....
- The subjunctive after que: used in subordinate clauses that express wants, suggestions, influence, or hypothetical wishes. Common after verbs like sugerir, recomendar, pedir, and impersonal expressions like sería bueno que...

English equivalents: “Could you…?”, “Would you mind…?”, “I would like (you) to…”, “It would be better if…”.

When do I use the conditional (to be polite)?

Use the conditional to make requests or suggestions less direct:

- Polite requests for help or permission:
- ¿Podrías ayudarme, por favor? (Could you help me, please?)
- ¿Podría ver su identificación? (Could I see your ID?)

- Polite offers or wishes:
- Me gustaría reservar una mesa. (I would like to reserve a table.)
- Querría hablar con el gerente. (I would like to speak with the manager.)

- Soft suggestions:
- Sería mejor llamar antes de ir. (It would be better to call before going.)
- Deberías descansar un poco. (You should rest a little.) — note: deberías is the conditional of deber and is used as a suggestion.

Formality note: Use tú-forms with friends: ¿Podrías...? Use usted-forms (polite) in formal situations: ¿Podría usted...?

How do I form the conditional (simple)?

Formation (regular verbs): add the conditional endings to the infinitive:
- Endings: -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían

Examples:
- hablar -> hablaría, hablarías, hablaría, hablaríamos, hablaríais, hablarían
- comer -> comería, comerías, comería, comeríamos, comeríais, comerían
- vivir -> viviría, vivirías, viviría, viviríamos, viviríais, vivirían

Common irregular stems (same endings):
- poder -> podr- -> podría
- querer -> querr- -> querría
- hacer -> har- -> haría
- decir -> dir- -> diría
- poner -> pondr- -> pondría
- tener -> tendr- -> tendría

Examples using conditional verbs:
- ¿Podrías pasarme la sal? (Could you pass me the salt?)
- Me gustaría que me explicara el problema. (I would like you to explain the problem to me.)
- Sería estupendo si vinieras. (It would be great if you came.)

When and why to use que + subjunctive for requests and suggestions

The subjunctive appears in subordinate clauses when the main clause expresses desire, suggestion, recommendation, doubt, emotion, or hypothetical situations. For polite requests and suggestions, common triggers include:

- Verbs of wanting or wishing: querer, desear, gustar
- Quiero que vengas. (I want you to come.)
- Verbs of suggestion or advice: sugerir, recomendar, aconsejar
- Te sugiero que estudies. (I suggest that you study.)
- Impersonal expressions: es importante que, es mejor que, sería bueno que
- Sería bueno que descansaras. (It would be good if you rested.)
- Polite verbs/phrases + que: me gustaría que, querría que, sería mejor que
- Me gustaría que me ayudaras. (I would like you to help me.)

Which subjunctive tense: present or imperfect?

Simple rule for polite requests/suggestions:
- Use the present subjunctive when the request/suggestion refers to the present or future in a straightforward way.
- Te recomiendo que reserves ahora. (I recommend that you book now.) — reserves = present subjunctive of reservar.
- Use the imperfect subjunctive (the -ra or -se forms) when the main clause is conditional or when the idea is hypothetical or less likely.
- Me gustaría que vinieras mañana. (I would like you to come tomorrow.) — vinieras = imperfect subjunctive.

So, after polite conditional formulas like me gustaría, querría, sería mejor, it is normal to use the imperfect subjunctive:
- Me gustaría que me ayudaras. (I would like you to help me.)
- Querría que me explicara la situación. (I would like you to explain the situation to me.)

But when you ask someone to pass on a message or cause an action now/soon, you often see the present subjunctive after que:
- ¿Podrías decirle que venga a las cinco? (Could you tell him to come at five?) — venga = present subjunctive because the action is immediate/future.

How to form the subjunctive after que

Present subjunctive (general formation): start from the yo present, drop -o, add these endings:
- For -ar verbs: -e, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en
- hablar -> (yo) hablo -> hable, hables, hable, hablemos, habléis, hablen
- For -er/-ir verbs: -a, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an
- comer -> coma, comas, coma, comamos, comáis, coman
- vivir -> viva, vivas, viva, vivamos, viváis, vivan

Note some irregulars: ser -> sea, estar -> esté, ir -> vaya, saber -> sepa, dar -> dé

Imperfect subjunctive (two common sets: -ra and -se; -ra is most used):
- Take the third person plural of the preterite, drop -ron, add -ra endings:
- hablaron -> hablara, hablaras, hablara, habláramos, hablarais, hablaran
- comieron -> comiera, comieras, comiera, comiéramos, comierais, comieran

Examples:
- Present subjunctive: Te aconsejo que lo hagas ahora. (I advise you to do it now.)
- Imperfect subjunctive: Me gustaría que lo hicieras mañana. (I would like you to do it tomorrow.)

Common patterns and many examples (with translations and short notes)

Polite requests using conditional alone
- ¿Podrías cerrar la puerta, por favor? (Could you close the door, please?)
- ¿Podría usted ayudarme con este formulario? (Could you help me with this form?)
- ¿Podrías decírselo mañana? (Could you tell him tomorrow?)
- ¿Me harías el favor de enviarme el informe? (Would you do me the favor of sending me the report?)

Polite requests saying “Would you mind...?” using importar
- ¿Te importaría abrir la ventana? (Would you mind opening the window?)
- ¿Le importaría que cerrara la ventana? (Would you mind if you closed the window?) — conditional + que + imperfect subjunctive.
- ¿Le importaría si lo hiciera ahora? (Would you mind if I did it now?) — si + imperfect subjunctive is also common.

Requests that cause someone else to act: conditional + decir + que + subjunctive
- ¿Podrías decirle que venga a las cinco? (Could you tell him to come at five?) — aqui venga = present subjunctive (near future action).
- ¿Podría usted avisarles que no vamos a asistir? (Could you let them know that we won’t attend?) — notice: if reporting a fact, indicative is used (no vamos -> indicative); if it’s a request to act: que + subj.

Wishes and polite desires: me gustaría / querría + que + imperfect subjunctive
- Me gustaría que me ayudaras con la mudanza. (I would like you to help me with the move.)
- Querría que me explicara su propuesta. (I would like you to explain your proposal to me.)
- Quisiera (polite formula) hablar con el encargado. (I would like to speak with the manager.) — Quisiera is technically imperfect subjunctive of querer, but used as a polite present.

Suggestions using que + subjunctive or conditional + que + subjunctive
- Te recomiendo que estudies más. (I recommend that you study more.) — present subj because recommendation refers to present/future.
- Sería mejor que llegaras temprano. (It would be better if you arrived early.) — conditional + imperfect subj.
- Te aconsejaría que pidieras ayuda si tienes dudas. (I would advise you to ask for help if you have doubts.)

If I were you / Yo que tú (common spoken suggestions)
- Si yo fuera tú, no lo haría. (If I were you, I wouldn’t do it.) — si + imperfect subj (fuera) + conditional (haría).
- Yo que tú, hablaría con ella pronto. (If I were you, I would talk to her soon.) — very common, uses conditional.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

- Incorrect tense after que: «Quiero que vienes.» → WRONG. Correct: Quiero que vengas. (Use subjunctive after querer + que.)
- Using present subjunctive after a conditional desire: «Me gustaría que vienes.» → WRONG. Correct: Me gustaría que vinieras. (Use imperfect subj after me gustaría.)
- Mixing que + subjunctive vs. infinitive with deberías: «Deberías que hables con ella.» → WRONG. Correct: Deberías hablar con ella. (Deberías + infinitive; but say sería mejor que + subjunctive.)
- Confusing quisera/querría: Quisiera is technically imperfect subjunctive of querer but used as a polite formula; querría is conditional. Both are polite; querría is perhaps more clearly conditional.
- Using indicative in a subordinate clause that needs subjunctive: «Te recomiendo que vas.» → WRONG. Correct: Te recomiendo que vayas.

How to choose present vs imperfect subjunctive in short

- Present subjunctive after que: use when the action is present or clearly future and the main clause is not a polite conditional desire.
- Example: Te sugiero que estudies esta noche. (present subj.)
- Imperfect subjunctive after que: use after conditional or when the idea is hypothetical, polite wish, or unlikely.
- Example: Me gustaría que estudiaras esta noche. (imperfect subj.)

Politeness levels, register and pronouns

- Informal (tú): ¿Podrías venir un momento? — with friends, family.
- Formal (usted): ¿Podría usted venir un momento? — with strangers, elders, formal situations.
- Plural (vosotros/ustedes): ¿Podríais ayudarme? (Spain, informal plural) / ¿Podrían ayudarme? (Latin America or formal plural)

Pronouns and infinitives: attach object pronouns to infinitives when needed:
- ¿Podrías cerrarla, por favor? (Could you close it, please?) — cerrarla attaches the pronoun.
- ¿Podrías decírselo mañana? (Could you tell it to him/her tomorrow?)

Quick reference: useful polite patterns

- Could you...?: ¿Podrías + infinitive? (¿Podrías ayudarme?)
- Could I...? (permission): ¿Podría + infinitive? (¿Podría entrar?)
- Would you mind...?: ¿Le importaría + infinitive? / ¿Le importaría que + imperfect subj.? (¿Le importaría abrir la ventana? / ¿Le importaría que cerrara la ventana?)
- I would like (someone to): Me gustaría que + imperfect subj. (Me gustaría que me ayudaras.)
- I suggest: Te sugiero que + present subj. (Te sugiero que reserves.)
- It would be better: Sería mejor que + imperfect subj. (Sería mejor que llamaras antes.)
- If I were you: Si yo fuera tú + conditional / Yo que tú + conditional (Si yo fuera tú, no lo haría. / Yo que tú, no lo haría.)

Brief glossary

- Conditional (condicional): a mood used to soften requests or express “would”/“could” (e.g., podría, querría).
- Present subjunctive (subjuntivo presente): used after que to express wants, doubts, suggestions about present/future (e.g., que venga, que estudies).
- Imperfect subjunctive (subjuntivo imperfecto): used after conditional or for hypothetical/wishful contexts (e.g., que vinieras, que explicara).
- Trigger verbs/phrases: verbs or expressions that typically require the subjunctive in the subordinate clause (e.g., pedir, sugerir, recomendar, es mejor que, me gustaría que).

Short summary

- Use the conditional to soften a request or suggestion: ¿Podrías...? ¿Podría usted...? Me gustaría..., Sería mejor....
- Use que + subjunctive in the subordinate clause when the main clause expresses desire, suggestion, influence, or hypothetical wishes.
- Choose present subjunctive for present/future actions and imperfect subjunctive after conditional or for hypothetical wishes.
- Avoid common errors like using the indicative after que when the subjunctive is required (Quiero que vengas, not que vienes).

If you want, I can provide more examples focused on one pattern (e.g., all uses of me gustaría que...) or a short printable cheat sheet for classroom use.