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There are different ways to say "if I were you" in Spanish.
Learn how to say "if I were you" in Spanish
In Spanish, to express "if I were you" we normally use one of the following structures:
- Si yo fuera tú...
- Yo que tú...
- Yo de ti...
Si yo fuera tú translates literally as "if I were you". It uses the verb ser in El Pretérito Imperfecto Subjuntivo. The other two structures that do not include a verb are more idiomatic and are used in more colloquial contexts.
They all mean the same and are used in hypothetical sentences followed by a clause using El Condicional Simple or El Condicional Perfecto.
Here are some examples:
Si yo fuera tú lo habría dejado plantado en el altar.If I were you I'd have left him waiting at the altar.
Each construction is a set phrase, be careful not to mix them up. For example, yo que tú and yo de ti do not start with "si" (if):
- Si yo de ti no iría.
- Yo que ti no iría.
- Yo de tú no iría.
Bear in mind that this type of hypothetical sentence, also accepts El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo (instead of El Condicional Perfecto). For example:
There are similar phrases with the same meaning that can also be used, for example:
- Si yo estuviera en tu lugar/en tu situación...
- Si dependiera de mí...
See also:
- Using the Spanish imperfect subjunctive in hypothetical clauses introduced by si followed by the Spanish conditional simple
- Using the pluperfect subjunctive in hypothetical clauses (si) followed by the perfect conditional/ the pluperfect subjunctive
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