podrías
“podrías” means “could you” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
could you
Also: you could
📝 In Action
¿Podrías pasarme la sal, por favor?
A2Could you pass me the salt, please?
Podrías llamar a tu abuela para ver cómo está.
B1You could call your grandma to see how she is.
¿Podrías ayudarme con esta caja? Es muy pesada.
A2Could you help me with this box? It's very heavy.
you would be able to
Also: you could
📝 In Action
Si tuvieras más tiempo, podrías aprender a tocar la guitarra.
B1If you had more time, you would be able to learn to play the guitar.
Con ese talento, podrías ser un gran artista.
B1With that talent, you could be a great artist.
Si no lloviera, podrías ir al parque.
B2If it weren't raining, you could go to the park.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: podrías
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'podrías' to make a polite suggestion?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
'Podrías' comes from the infinitive verb 'poder'. 'Poder' itself evolved from the Vulgar Latin '*potēre', a modification of the Classical Latin verb 'posse', which meant 'to be able'. This root is shared with English words like 'potent', 'possible', and 'potential'.
First recorded: The conditional form developed in later stages of Latin and early Romance languages.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'podrías' and 'podría'?
'Podrías' (with an 's') is used when you're talking to one person you know well, a friend or family member (the 'tú' form). 'Podría' (without the 's') is used for 'I', 'he', 'she', or when speaking formally to someone ('usted'). For example: '¿Podrías ayudarme?' (Could you [friend] help me?) vs. '¿Podría ayudarme?' (Could you [sir/ma'am] help me?).
Is 'podrías' the same as 'pudieras'?
No, they are different verb forms with different jobs. 'Podrías' is used for polite requests and 'what if' results ('You could help'). 'Pudieras' is a form used after certain triggers, like in the first part of a 'what if' sentence: 'Si tú pudieras volar...' ('If you were able to fly...'). They often appear in the same sentence, but in different parts.
Can I just use 'puedes' instead of 'podrías'?
You can, but it changes the tone. '¿Puedes...?' asks about ability ('Are you able to...?'). '¿Podrías...?' is a polite request ('Would you be willing to...?'). In a cafe, asking '¿Podrías traerme un café?' is more polite and natural than '¿Puedes traerme un café?'.