Detestaría

Detestaría is the conditional form of the Spanish verb detestar, meaning to hate or detest. This form expresses a hypothetical or potential action dependent on a condition, or a polite or softened statement about what one would feel or do.

Conjugation note: In the conditional mood for -ar verbs, the ending -ía attaches to the verb stem. For detestar, the forms are yo detestaría, tú detestarías, él/ella/usted detestaría, nosotros detestaríamos, vosotros detestaríais, ellos detestarían. The form detestaría is used for yo and for él/ella/usted in the appropriate contexts.

Usage examples:

- Detestaría tener que trabajar los domingos. (I would hate to have to work Sundays.)

- Si me ofrecieran ese puesto, detestaría mudarme, pero podría aceptarlo si fuera necesario. (If that position were offered to me, I would hate to move, but I might accept it if necessary.)

Nuances: Detestaría communicates a hypothetical dislike rather than a real present feeling. It is common in both formal and informal registers and can soften requests or statements. It is more intense than “gustaría” but not as strong as a direct “odio” (I hate) in the present.

Related forms and synonyms: detestar is the standard verb; synonyms include odiar and aborrecer, though detestar often conveys a strong moral or emotional repugnance rather than simple dislike.

Etymology: Detestar derives from the Latin detestare, and in Spanish it has retained a sense of intense aversion.