cobrar Conditional Conjugation
cobrar — to charge (a price)
The conditional tense of cobrar (cobraría, cobrarías, etc.) expresses 'would' actions, polite requests, or future-in-the-past.
cobrar Conditional Forms
When to Use the Conditional
Use the conditional for hypothetical situations ('I would charge more if...'), polite requests ('Would you charge me?'), or to describe something that was going to happen in the past ('He said he would charge us').
Notes on cobrar in the Conditional
Cobrar is regular in the conditional tense. The stem is the full infinitive 'cobrar', and the endings are the standard conditional endings.
Example Sentences
Yo cobraría más si tuviera más clientes.
I would charge more if I had more clients.
yo
¿Tú cobrarías por ese consejo?
Would you charge for that advice?
tú
Él cobraría menos para atraer clientes.
He would charge less to attract clients.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros cobraríamos una tarifa fija.
We would charge a fixed fee.
nosotros
Ellos cobrarían por hora si fuera necesario.
They would charge by the hour if it were necessary.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the future tense instead of the conditional for hypothetical 'would' statements.
Correct: For 'would' scenarios, use the conditional: 'Cobraría' (I would charge), not 'Cobraré' (I will charge).
Why: The conditional mood is specifically for hypothetical or uncertain situations, while the future is for definite events.
Mistake: Confusing conditional endings with future endings.
Correct: Future endings are -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án. Conditional endings are -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían.
Why: These endings can sound similar and are often confused.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: cobro
The present tense of cobrar (cobro, cobras, cobra, etc.) describes habitual actions, current actions, or general truths.
Preterite
yo: cobré
The preterite of cobrar (cobré, cobraste, cobró, etc.) is used for completed actions in the past, like charging a specific amount at a specific time.
Imperfect
yo: cobraba
The imperfect tense of cobrar (cobraba, cobrabas, etc.) describes ongoing or habitual past actions, or sets the background scene.
Future
yo: cobraré
The future tense of cobrar (cobraré, cobrarás, cobrará, etc.) indicates actions that will happen or expresses probability.
Present Subjunctive
yo: cobre
The present subjunctive of cobrar (cobre, cobres, cobre, cobremos, cobréis, cobren) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: cobrara
The imperfect subjunctive of cobrar (e.g., cobrara, cobrara, cobráramos) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: cobra
Cobrar's imperative forms give direct commands: cobra (tú), cobre (usted), cobremos (nosotros), cobren (ustedes), cobrad (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no cobres
Negative commands for 'cobrar' use the present subjunctive: no cobres (tú), no cobre (usted), no cobremos (nosotros), no cobren (ustedes), no cobréis (vosotros).