Siempre que/a condición de que in Spanish (subordinate conditional clauses)

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"Siempre que" and "A condición de que " introduce a condition that is required for the main clause to be fulfilled. Here are some examples:

Te ayudaré siempre que tú me ayudes a mí.I will help you as long as you help me.

Te ayudaré a condición de que tú me ayudes.I will help you as long as you help me.

In the examples above, the main clause "Me helping you" will only happen if "you help me" [= the condition].

Tendrás buenos resultados siempre que estudies de forma regular.You will get good results as long as you study regularly.

Tendrás buenos resultados a condición de que estudies de forma regular.You will get good results as long as you study regularly.

In the examples above, the main clause "you getting good results" will only happen if "you study regularly" [= the condition].

Notice again how, when it is expressing a condition, the tenses are in the subjunctive, not the indicative.

Other connectives conveying the same conditional idea are:

  • con la condición de que...  (as long as)
  • siempre y cuando...

More examples:

Puedes usar mi coche siempre y cuando tú pagues la gasolina.You can use my car as long as you pay for the petrol.

Te compro el juguete siempre que me des un beso.I'll buy you the toy as long as you give me a kiss.

Yo te llevo a casa con la condición de que me invites a un café.I will take you home as long as you buy me a coffee.

Extra note on siempre que...

If siempre que is followed by the indicative instead of the subjunctive, then it is not expressing a condition but a time clause:

Ella se porta mal siempre que viene de visita.
She behaves badly every time she comes for a visit.

See also Mientras with past tenses in the indicative and subjunctive in Spanish (subordinate time/conditional clauses)

 

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Examples and resources

Puedes usar mi coche siempre y cuando tú pagues la gasolina.You can use my car as long as you pay for the petrol.
Yo te llevo a casa con la condición de que me invites a un café.I will take you home as long as you buy me a coffee.
Te compro el juguete siempre que me des un beso.I'll buy you the toy as long as you give me a kiss.
Te ayudaré siempre que tú me ayudes a mí.I will help you as long as you help me.
Te ayudaré a condición de que tú me ayudes.I will help you as long as you help me.
Tendrás buenos resultados siempre que estudies de forma regular.You will get good results as long as you study regularly.
Tendrás buenos resultados a condición de que estudies de forma regular.You will get good results as long as you study regularly.
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