The Conditional Mood of tener is used to express what you would have or would do under certain circumstances, for example: Tendría más tiempo libre si no trabajara tanto. (I would have more free time if I didn’t work so much.)

Tener is a stem-changing verb, meaning the vowel in the stem changes in certain conjugations. For the Conditional, the e changes to ie in all forms except nosotros and vosotras.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Tener (to have) in the Conditional Mood tense (Latin American Spanish):

The conditional mood of tener is used to express what would happen under certain conditions or hypothetical situations.

Possession: This is the most common meaning, indicating what one would have or possess under certain circumstances. For example, Si ganara la lotería, tendría mucho dinero. (If I won the lottery, I would have a lot of money.)

Obligation: It can also express what one would have to do or what obligation would exist in a hypothetical situation. For example, Si fuera presidente, tendría que trabajar mucho. (If I were president, I would have to work a lot.)

Age: When referring to age, it indicates how old someone would be under certain circumstances. For example, Si naciera en 1990, tendría 33 años ahora. (If I had been born in 1990, I would be 33 years old now.)

Necessity: It can convey the idea of needing or requiring something in a hypothetical scenario. For example, Para ir a la fiesta, tendría que comprar un vestido nuevo. (To go to the party, I would need to buy a new dress.)

Idiomatic/Slang: In some Latin American countries, it can be used colloquially to express disbelief or skepticism, often with a rude or vulgar connotation. For example, ¿Tendré cara de tonto o qué? (Do I have the face of an idiot or what?)

Examples

Examples of Tener in the Conditional Mood

Si tendría más tiempo libre, viajaría más. (If I had more free time, I would travel more.)

¿Qué tendrías que hacer si ganaras la lotería? (What would you do if you won the lottery?)

Mis padres tendrían que mudarse a una casa más grande si tuviéramos otro hijo. (My parents would have to move to a bigger house if we had another child.)

En una situación hipotética, ¿tendríamos que evacuar la ciudad? (In a hypothetical situation, would we have to evacuate the city?)

Si tendrían la oportunidad de viajar en el tiempo, ¿a qué época irían? (If they had the opportunity to time travel, what era would they go to?)

Para celebrar mi cumpleaños, tendría una fiesta con mis amigos más cercanos. (To celebrate my birthday, I would have a party with my closest friends.)

En el trabajo, tendríamos que contratar más personal si el negocio sigue creciendo. (At work, we would have to hire more staff if the business keeps growing.)

Si tendrías que elegir un superpoder, ¿cuál sería? (If you had to choose a superpower, what would it be?)

Para mantenerse en forma, tendría que hacer ejercicio regularmente. (To stay in shape, I would have to exercise regularly.)

En una emergencia, tendrían que seguir las instrucciones de los oficiales. (In an emergency, they would have to follow the officers’ instructions.)

Si tendríamos más ingresos, podríamos ahorrar para un viaje familiar. (If we had more income, we could save for a family trip.)

Para aprender un nuevo idioma, tendría que practicar todos los días. (To learn a new language, I would have to practice every day.)

En una situación de crisis, tendrías que mantener la calma y pensar con claridad. (In a crisis situation, you would have to remain calm and think clearly.)

Si tendrían la oportunidad de cambiar una cosa en el mundo, ¿qué sería? (If they had the opportunity to change one thing in the world, what would it be?)

Para tener éxito en los negocios, tendríamos que ser innovadores y adaptarnos rápidamente. (To be successful in business, we would have to be innovative and adapt quickly.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Tener (to have) in the Conditional Mood tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Conditional mood is also known as the Simple Conditional, Conditional Simple, Would Tense, or Future of the Past in English, and as Condicional Simple, Pospretérito, Potencial Simple, or Condicional de Indicativo in Spanish.