sería

Sería is the conditional mood form of the Spanish verb ser. It corresponds to the English phrases “I would be” or “he/she/you would be,” as in yo sería or él sería. The corresponding plural forms are seríamos, seríais, and serían. The conditional expresses hypothetical or potential states, as well as polite requests or suggestions.

Common uses include hypothetical statements about identity or qualities, such as “Sería doctor si hubiera estudiado” (I would be a doctor if I had studied). It also introduces polite or tentative propositions, for example “Sería mejor esperar” (It would be better to wait) or “Sería posible que me ayudaras” (Would it be possible for you to help me?). Sería can express conjecture or probability about a present or past situation, as in “¿Qué hora sería?” or “No sería cierto” (that wouldn’t be true). In identification or attribution contexts, it can denote a tentative identification: “Sería él” (perhaps it was him).

Etymology and grammar notes: Sería comes from the verb ser, whose root is Latin esse. The form is part of a highly irregular verb system in Spanish. A key semantic distinction is with the verb estar; ser conveys essential, defining, or permanent traits and roles, whereas estar conveys temporary states or locations. In the conditional, sería signals possibility, hypotheticality, or politeness rather than certainty.

See also: Spanish conditional mood, ser (grammar), estar.