The Conditional Mood of sostener is used to express what you would do or what would happen under certain circumstances, for example: Sostendría la puerta para ti. (I would hold the door for you.)

Sostener is a stem-changing verb, meaning the stem vowel changes in certain conjugations. In the Conditional, the stem vowel changes from o to u.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Sostener (to sustain) in the Conditional Mood tense (Castilian Spanish):

The conditional mood of sostener is used to express hypothetical or potential situations, often with an implied condition.

To hold or support: For example, Si tuviera más dinero, sostendría una causa benéfica. (If I had more money, I would support a charitable cause.)

To maintain or uphold: For example, El gobierno sostendría esa política si ganara las elecciones. (The government would maintain that policy if it won the elections.)

To endure or withstand: For example, No sé si podría sostener tanto estrés. (I don’t know if I could withstand so much stress.)

To claim or argue (colloquial): For example, Sostendría que eres un mentiroso. (I would argue that you’re a liar.)

To put up with or tolerate (colloquial): For example, No te sostendría si me trataras así. (I wouldn’t put up with you if you treated me like that.)

Examples

Examples of Sostener in the Conditional Mood

Si sostendría que la economía mejorará el próximo año, invertiría en la bolsa. (If I would argue that the economy will improve next year, I would invest in the stock market.)

Aunque sostendrías que el calentamiento global es un mito, los científicos tienen pruebas sólidas. (Even though you would argue that global warming is a myth, scientists have solid evidence.)

El abogado sostendría que su cliente es inocente en el juicio. (The lawyer would argue that their client is innocent at the trial.)

Como padres, sostendríamos que la educación es fundamental para el éxito de nuestros hijos. (As parents, we would argue that education is essential for our children’s success.)

Ustedes sostendríais que la libertad de expresión es un derecho humano básico, ¿verdad? (You would argue that freedom of speech is a basic human right, right?)

Los activistas sostendrían que necesitamos tomar medidas urgentes contra el cambio climático. (The activists would argue that we need to take urgent action against climate change.)

En la reunión, sostendría que necesitamos aumentar el presupuesto de marketing. (In the meeting, I would argue that we need to increase the marketing budget.)

Aunque sostendrían que la pena de muerte es un deterrente eficaz, hay poca evidencia que lo respalde. (Although they would argue that the death penalty is an effective deterrent, there is little evidence to support it.)

Los críticos sostendrían que la nueva película es demasiado violenta para los niños. (Critics would argue that the new movie is too violent for children.)

En la clase de filosofía, sostendríamos que la existencia de Dios no se puede probar ni refutar. (In philosophy class, we would argue that the existence of God cannot be proven or disproven.)

Aunque sostendrías que el aborto es un tema complicado, hay que respetar la decisión de cada mujer. (Although you would argue that abortion is a complicated issue, each woman’s decision must be respected.)

Los expertos sostendrían que una dieta equilibrada y ejercicio regular son claves para una buena salud. (Experts would argue that a balanced diet and regular exercise are key to good health.)

En la reunión familiar, sostendríamos que es importante mantener nuestras tradiciones culturales. (At the family gathering, we would argue that it’s important to maintain our cultural traditions.)

Aunque sostendrían que la inmigración ilegal es un problema, hay que tratar a todos los seres humanos con dignidad. (Although they would argue that illegal immigration is a problem, all human beings must be treated with dignity.)

En el debate político, sostendrían que su partido tiene las mejores propuestas para el país. (In the political debate, they would argue that their party has the best proposals for the country.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Sostener (to sustain) 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.