Imperfect vs Conditional

One of the most common mistakes for Spanish learners is confusing the Imperfect and Conditional tenses because their endings look very similar. The key difference lies entirely in the meaning.

Imperfect = Past Reality

Describes past habits, repeated actions, descriptions, or ongoing actions in the past. (Something that actually happened).

"Cuando era niño..."
(When I was a child...)

"Cuando era niño, comía mucha fruta."
(When I was a child, I used to eat a lot of fruit.)

Conditional = Hypothetical

Expresses what someone would do in a hypothetical situation. (Something that depends on a condition).

"Yo que tú..."
(If I were you...)

"Yo que tú, comería más fruta."
(If I were you, I would eat more fruit.)

-AR Verbs: Hablar (to speak)

Subject	Imperfect	English	Conditional	English
yo	hablaba	I was speaking / used to speak	hablaría	I would speak
tú	hablabas	you used to speak	hablarías	you would speak
él/ella	hablaba	he/she used to speak	hablaría	he/she would speak
nosotros	hablábamos	we used to speak	hablaríamos	we would speak
vosotros	hablabais	you all used to speak	hablaríais	you all would speak
ellos	hablaban	they used to speak	hablarían	they would speak

-ER Verbs: Comer (to eat)

Subject	Imperfect	English	Conditional	English
yo	comía	I was eating / used to eat	comería	I would eat
tú	comías	you used to eat	comerías	you would eat
él/ella	comía	he/she used to eat	comería	he/she would eat
nosotros	comíamos	we used to eat	comeríamos	we would eat
vosotros	comíais	you all used to eat	comeríais	you all would eat
ellos	comían	they used to eat	comerían	they would eat

Quick Comparison

Trabajaba mucho. I used to work a lot.

Trabajaría más si me pagaran mejor. I would work more if they paid me better.

Vivía en Madrid. I used to live in Madrid.

Viviría en Madrid si tuviera dinero. I would live in Madrid if I had money.