Podrías

Podrías is the segunda persona del singular del modo condicional del verbo poder, meaning “you could.” It is formed from the stem podr- plus the conditional endings, and it is commonly used to express possibility, potential actions, or polite requests in informal address.

In practice, podrías appears most often when making gentle proposals or asking someone to consider a possibility. For example: ¿Podrías pasarme la sal? or Podrías ayudarme con esto. It can also express a hypothetical or tentative idea, especially when framing a suggestion: Podrías intentar hacerlo de otra manera.

Grammatically, podrías contrasts with the formal tú form of poder in the conditional, podríamos, podríais, podrían, and with the present tense can be used in combinations that soften imperatives or questions. The form also aligns with theusted/él/ella form in the conditional (podría), but is specifically for informal tú.

Regional and style notes: podrías is widely used in Spanish-speaking communities from Spain to Latin America. It remains appropriate in both spoken and written contexts when aiming for politeness or conjecture. In formal situations, speakers typically use podría (usted) instead of podrías.

Examples in translation:

- ¿Podrías ayudarme con este informe? → Could you help me with this report?

- Podrías considerarlo antes de decidir. → You could consider it before deciding.

Overall, podrías is a versatile, common form in everyday Spanish for proposing possibilities and making courteous requests to someone you know informally.