Making If-Then Statements

Vocabulary

la vacunavaccine

el núcleonucleus

el ADNDNA

Hypothetical If-Then Statement 

Además, la vacuna nunca entra en el núcleo donde se encuentra el ADN y aun si entrara en el núcleo, no tendría manera de cambiar su ADN.

aun sieven if

Y aun si entrara en el núcleo, no tendría manera de cambiar su ADN. And even if it did enter the nucleus, it would have no way to change your DNA.

• This is a CONDITIONAL (IF-THEN) STATEMENT, where we use the IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE to present the HYPOTHETICAL condition (“y aun si entrara en el núcleo”) and we use the CONDITIONAL to present the result of that condition (“no tendría manera de cambiar su ADN”).

Hypothetical vs Possible and AUNQUE

• When making a conditional statement using AUN SI it acts just like SI, where we can use either the IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE (hypothetical possibility) or the INDICATIVE (likely possibility). It canNOT be followed by the PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE.
  • Practice conditional statements in Spanish. Quiz #5 – The Subjunctive in Conditional Statements and More (Free lesson). Spanish Grammar members see: Subj15 Conditional Statements and Subj16 Conditional Statements

•  You may recall that you can use AUNQUE + PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE to say, “even if.”
  • Discussion of AUN SI and AUNQUE in Word Reference
  • In this premium lesson we explain AUNQUE + SUBJUNTIVO = “even if”: Quiz # 4 – The Subjunctive in Adverbial Clauses (Free lesson). Spanish Grammar members see: Subj14 How and Where. AUNQUE, unlike AUN SI, it can be used with either the imperfect or the present subjunctive. 

Practice 

Y aun si entrara en el núcleo, no tendría manera de cambiar su ADN. And even if it did enter the nucleus, it would have no way to change your DNA.

Aunque la vacuna entre en el núcleo, no tendrá manera de cambiar su ADN. Even if the vaccine enters the nucleus, it will not have a way to change your DNA.

Aun si la vacuna entra en el núcleo no tiene manera de cambiar su ADN.Even if the vaccine enters the nucleus, it does not have a way to change your DNA. 

Review

Hypothetical 

AUN SI / SI + IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE > CONDITIONAL

Y aun si entrara en el núcleo, no tendría manera de cambiar su ADN.

Possible 

AUN SI / SI + PRESENT INDICATIVE > PRESENT / FUTURE INDICATIVE 

Aun si la vacuna entra en el núcleo no tiene / tendrá manera de cambiar su ADN.

AUNQUE + PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE > PRESENT / FUTURE INDICATIVE

Aunque la vacuna entre en el núcleo, no tiene / tendrá manera de cambiar su ADN.

• Note: There are other possible combinations (e.g. Si + present indicative > conditional), but these represent the most common ones.

Related Lessons

• How the Covid Vaccines Work in Spanish (Free) and How the Covid Vaccines Work in Spanish – Premium
• Quiz #5 – The Subjunctive in Conditional Statements and More (free) 
• Discussion of AUN SI and AUNQUE in Word Reference
• Quiz # 4 – The Subjunctive in Adverbial Clauses (Free lesson with Aunque) 
• Subj14 How and Where (Member lesson) 
• Subj15 Conditional Statements (Member lesson) 
• Subj16 Conditional Statements (Member lesson)