Using the present tense for possible future events.

Gerald R.B2Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Using the present tense for possible future events.

If someone hits you, I will intervene.

Si alguien te golpea, intervendré.  o  Si alguien te golpea, intervengo.

Which is more appropriate or "right"?

Asked 1 day ago
SilviaKwiziq Native Spanish TeacherCorrect answer

Hola Gerald R.

Great question — both sentences are grammatically correct, but they’re used slightly differently in Spanish. The most natural and commonly used structure is:

Si alguien te golpea, intervendré.

This matches a typical first conditional in Spanish: present tense in the “si” clause (te golpea) + future tense in the main clause (intervendré). It’s the best choice when you're talking about a possible future event.

The other version — intervengo — is also technically correct and used in some contexts, especially in very immediate or dramatic situations, like promises or informal speech. But for most cases, especially in writing or neutral tone, intervendré is the preferred form.

Hope that helps!

Hasta pronto

Silvia

Gerald R.B2Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Mil gracias. Muy útil.

Gerald R. asked:

Using the present tense for possible future events.

If someone hits you, I will intervene.

Si alguien te golpea, intervendré.  o  Si alguien te golpea, intervengo.

Which is more appropriate or "right"?

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