The Conditional Mood of picar is used to express hypothetical or imagined situations, for example: Si tuvieras tiempo, picarías las cebollas para la cena. (If you had time, you would chop the onions for dinner.)

Picar is a regular verb in Spanish, meaning its conjugations in the Conditional follow the same pattern as other verbs ending in -ar.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Picar (to chop/sting) in the Conditional Mood tense (Castilian Spanish):

The Conditional (Indicative) of picar is used to express hypothetical situations or actions that would occur under certain conditions.

To prick or sting: For example, Si tocara esa planta, me picaría (If I touched that plant, it would sting me). This meaning can also extend to biting or stinging insects: Si no usaras repelente, los mosquitos te picarían (If you didn’t use repellent, mosquitoes would bite you).

To eat by taking small bites: For example, Si tuviera hambre, picaría algo antes de la cena (If I were hungry, I would snack on something before dinner).

To cut or chop into small pieces: For example, Si hiciera una ensalada, picaría las verduras (If I made a salad, I would chop the vegetables).

To peck or strike with a beak (birds): For example, Si dejaras las migas en el suelo, los pájaros las picarían (If you left crumbs on the ground, birds would peck at them).

To arouse interest or curiosity: For example, Si viera algo interesante, me picaría la curiosidad (If I saw something interesting, my curiosity would be piqued).

To tease or provoke (slang): For example, Si siguieras molestándome, te picaría de vuelta (If you kept bothering me, I would tease you back).

Examples

Examples of Picar in the Conditional Mood

Si tuviera más tiempo libre, picaría algunos bocadillos para la fiesta. (If I had more free time, I would snack on some appetizers for the party.)

Los niños picarían la fruta si tuviera un sabor más dulce. (The kids would snack on the fruit if it had a sweeter taste.)

Después de un largo día de trabajo, picaríamos algo de comida chatarra mientras vemos la televisión. (After a long day at work, we would snack on some junk food while watching TV.)

En el cine, picarías palomitas de maíz sin importar la película. (At the movies, you would snack on popcorn regardless of the film.)

Durante el viaje en coche, picaríais bocadillos salados para manteneros despiertos. (During the road trip, you all would snack on salty snacks to stay awake.)

En la reunión de negocios, algunos picarían galletas mientras discuten los nuevos proyectos. (At the business meeting, some would snack on cookies while discussing the new projects.)

¿Crees que los atletas picarían comida chatarra antes de una competencia importante? (Do you think athletes would snack on junk food before an important competition?)

Aunque estoy a dieta, picaría un poco de chocolate de vez en cuando. (Even though I’m on a diet, I would snack on some chocolate from time to time.)

En la oficina, muchos picarían nueces o frutas secas para mantenerse enfocados. (At the office, many would snack on nuts or dried fruits to stay focused.)

Si tuviéramos una fiesta en casa, picaríamos botanas y bebidas mientras escuchamos música. (If we had a party at home, we would snack on appetizers and drinks while listening to music.)

Cuando estoy estresado, picaría papas fritas sin darme cuenta. (When I’m stressed, I would mindlessly snack on potato chips.)

En el parque, los niños picarían frutas y sándwiches después de jugar. (At the park, the kids would snack on fruits and sandwiches after playing.)

Durante el vuelo, picarías los aperitivos que ofrecen las aerolíneas. (During the flight, you would snack on the snacks offered by the airlines.)

En la playa, picaríamos cocteles de frutas y bocadillos ligeros para refrescarnos. (At the beach, we would snack on fruit cocktails and light snacks to cool off.)

Después de una noche de fiesta, picarían algo grasoso para curar la resaca. (After a night of partying, they would snack on something greasy to cure the hangover.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Picar (to chop/sting) in the Conditional Mood tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American 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.