podrías
/poh-DREE-ahs/
could you
Use podrías (could you) to make a polite request or suggestion, such as asking someone to pass an item.
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
The Polite 'Could You...?'
Use 'podrías' to ask someone to do something in a very polite and friendly way. It's much softer and less direct than a command.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Asking for Favors: 'Puedes' vs. 'Podrías'
Mistake: "Using '¿Puedes ayudarme?' when you want to be extra polite."
Correction: Use '¿Podrías ayudarme?'. While 'puedes' is okay, 'podrías' is the gold standard for politeness. 'Puedes' asks 'Are you physically able to help?', while 'Podrías' asks 'Would you be willing to help?'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Giving Softer Advice
When giving advice, 'podrías' sounds much gentler than 'deberías' (you should). Compare: 'Podrías estudiar más' (You could study more) vs. 'Deberías estudiar más' (You should study more).
In hypothetical situations (often starting with 'If...'), podrías means 'you would be able to' or 'you could'.
podrías(Verb)
you would be able to
?hypothetical ability
you could
?expressing a possibility or conjecture
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
Talking About 'What If'
'Podrías' is often used in the second half of a sentence that starts with 'Si...' (If...). It describes what would be possible in an imaginary or hypothetical situation.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing Up Verb Forms in 'If' Sentences
Mistake: "Si tienes más tiempo, podrías aprender."
Correction: Si tuvieras más tiempo, podrías aprender. For these big 'what if' scenarios about the present or future, the part after 'si' needs a special past form like 'tuvieras' to set up the imaginary situation.
⭐ Usage Tips
Expressing Possibility
You can use 'podrías' to state an opinion or a possibility without sounding too certain. For example, 'Bueno, podrías tener razón' means 'Well, you could be right,' which is less direct than 'Tienes razón' (You are right).
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
preterite
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: podrías
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'podrías' to make a polite suggestion?
📚 More Resources
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?'.