One construct I have never figured out is the conditional in Spanish. If I had known you were coming I would have baked a cake. If I had believed he would be elected I would have killed myself before hand.
If I had believed he would be elected I would have killed myself before hand.
Si hubiera cre?do que saldr?a electo, me habr?a matado de antemano.
These are called conditional sentences. they consist of two parts: the condition and the result.
the verb in the condition part (after the word si) is in the past subjunctive tense.
The verb in the result clause is in the conditional tense.
Si hubiera sabido que venias, (te) habr?a horneado un pastel.
No har?a eso si fuera Ud. I wouldn't do that if I were you.
Luckily the FUTURE SUBJUNCTIVE is rarely used by anyone, except in the set phrase 'Fuere lo que fuere.' (Be that as it may.)
If the action of the verb in the conditional part has not happened, then you use the past subjunctive tense of the verb closest to the word si. (Si without an accent n[means if; with an accent, it means yes)
The result clause used the conditional tense that has ?a un it.
Whether you use the -ra form of the past subjunctive or the ese form, the meaning is the same.
Most Latin Americans do not use the -ese form (fuese, hubiese, estuviese) form.
In Spanish you will sometimes hear people use the -ese form in the -ese form in the condition part and the -ra form in the result clause.
If the action is really happening, then you use the present tense.
If he comes, I always bake him a cake.
Si viene, le hago un pastel siempre.
I have noticed that "to bake" is more often hacer or preparar than hornear.
Ovens in much of Latin America in my experience, are not used very often, except for storing pots and pans.
The phrase If I knew you were coming I would have baked a cake. is from an old song that I have never heard anyone sing in Spanish.
The present subjunctive (sea, haya, est?) is NEVER used in conditional sentences.