Using the conditional in Spanish to express hypothesis/wish/suggestion in the present or future

In Spanish, El Condicional Simple is used to express something hypothetical, not real, that might happen in the present or the future. 

This use happens generally in two different contexts:

El Condicional Simple when expressing a wish/intention

Ahora mismo me comería un helado grande. Hace mucho calor.Right now I'd eat a big ice cream. It is very hot.

Mañana me quedaría en casa y no iría a trabajar.Tomorrow I would stay at home and wouldn't go to work.

In the examples above the speaker is expressing a wish that something will happen or an intention either at the moment of speaking or in the future.

 

El Condicional Simple when suggesting or giving advice

Yo que tú, me pondría ese bikini tan bonito. El bañador es más feo.If I were you, I'd wear that pretty bikini. The swimming costume is uglier.

Yo que ella, rompería con Eduardo. No la trata muy bien.If I were her, I'd break up with Eduardo. He doesn't treat her very well.

No puedo decidirme. Eva, ¿cuál comprarías tú? ¿el rojo o el negro?I can't make up my mind. Eva, which one would you buy? The red one or the black one?

Pues, yo me compraría el rojo. Es más barato.Well, I'd buy the red one. It is cheaper.

It is common to find "Yo que tú...", "Yo que él..." (If I were you..., If I were him...) in the first part of the sentence, to direct the suggestion/advice to someone specific. This phrase is equivalent to the conditional phrase "Si yo fuera tú...", "Si yo fuera él..." (If I were you..., If I were him...).

Reminder:

Verbs conjugated in the conditional tense take the written accent [´] on the  of the endings, e.g. compraría, comprarías, compraría, compraríamos, compraríais, comprarían.

See also:

Conjugate regular verbs in the conditional in Spanish (El Condicional Simple)

Using the Spanish imperfect subjunctive in hypothetical clauses introduced by si followed by the Spanish conditional simple

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Examples and resources

Yo que tú, me pondría ese bikini tan bonito. El bañador es más feo.If I were you, I'd wear that pretty bikini. The swimming costume is uglier.
Pues, yo me compraría el rojo. Es más barato.Well, I'd buy the red one. It is cheaper.
Mañana me quedaría en casa y no iría a trabajar.Tomorrow I would stay at home and wouldn't go to work.
Yo que ella, rompería con Eduardo. No la trata muy bien.If I were her, I'd break up with Eduardo. He doesn't treat her very well.
No puedo decidirme. Eva, ¿cuál comprarías tú? ¿el rojo o el negro?I can't make up my mind. Eva, which one would you buy? The red one or the black one?
Ahora mismo me comería un helado grande. Hace mucho calor.Right now I'd eat a big ice cream. It is very hot.
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