Zero conditional en inglés: estructura, ejemplos y ejercicios
El zero conditional, también llamado condicional cero o 0 conditional, sirve para expresar hechos, reglas, hábitos y resultados que se repiten siempre que aparece una condición.
Respuesta rápida
Usa el zero conditional cuando el resultado es general, lógico o habitual. No habla de una predicción futura concreta, sino de algo que ocurre como regla.
¿Qué es el zero conditional?
El zero conditional es una estructura gramatical que conecta una condición con un resultado que se considera verdadero de forma general. Por eso aparece en explicaciones científicas, reglas, instrucciones, hábitos, manuales y situaciones cotidianas.
La idea mental es sencilla: si ocurre A, ocurre B. El resultado se entiende como estable, por eso se enseña con present simple en las dos partes.
Verdades generales
If water reaches 100 degrees, it boils. El resultado no depende de una decisión personal.
Rutinas reales
If I drink coffee at night, I sleep badly. Describe algo que se repite en la vida real.
Instrucciones
If the light turns red, stop. Puede dar órdenes, advertencias o procedimientos claros.
Estructura del zero conditional
La estructura del zero conditional tiene dos cláusulas: la condición y el resultado. La condición suele empezar con if o when; el resultado explica qué ocurre.
| Type | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | If + subject + present simple, subject + present simple | If it rains, the ground gets wet. |
| Negative | If + subject + do/does not + verb, subject + do/does not + verb | If plants do not get water, they do not grow. |
| Question | Wh- / Do / Does + subject + verb + if + present simple? | What happens if you heat ice? |
| With when | When + present simple, present simple | When babies are hungry, they cry. |
Regla de coma: si la frase empieza por la condición, normalmente usamos coma antes del resultado.
If or when in the zero conditional: which one should you choose?
In the zero conditional, if and when can be very close in meaning. Use if to emphasize the condition and when when the result feels like a routine.
¿Cuándo se usa el zero conditional?
Natural laws and science
It explains physical, biological or mathematical results.
Rules and instructions
It works for manuals, rules and procedures.
Personal habits
It describes routines that repeat in your life.
Logical consequences
It shows a clear cause-and-effect relationship.
Practical advice
It makes a recommendation sound direct.
Definitions
It helps explain vocabulary and processes.
Ejemplos de zero conditional
Memorising the formula helps, but seeing many zero conditional examples in context is what makes the structure automatic.
General facts
Routines
Negative and questions
Banco de frases con zero conditional
A good bank of zero conditional sentences prevents you from learning the form by memory without knowing how to use it.
| Situation | Useful sentences | What you learn |
|---|---|---|
| Home and technology | If the router stops working, the internet connection drops. The screen locks if you do not touch it. | Daily processes and automatic results. |
| Health and body | If you do not sleep enough, your concentration falls. If you drink too little water, you get thirsty. | Habits and general consequences. |
| English study | If you repeat a phrase aloud, you remember it better. When you practise with examples, the rule becomes natural. | Learning advice expressed as rules. |
| Work | If people receive clear instructions, they make fewer mistakes. When a deadline is close, the team works faster. | Professional routines and cause-effect relations. |
Condicional 0, type 0 conditional y búsquedas relacionadas
You will see different labels online: conditional type 0, type zero conditional, 0 conditional structure and zero conditional formula. They all refer to the same base: present simple in the condition and present simple in the result.
Zero conditional
Use: facts, rules, routines or general results.
First conditional
Use: a possible future consequence.
Cómo construir una frase en zero conditional paso a paso
Usa el zero conditional cuando el resultado es general, lógico o habitual. No habla de una predicción futura concreta, sino de algo que ocurre como regla.
Errores comunes con el zero conditional
Using will in the result
For general truths, use present simple: If water freezes, it expands.
Confusing zero and first conditional
Use first conditional for a concrete future possibility.
Forgetting do/does in negatives
Use do not or does not: If she does not practise, she does not improve.
Translating mechanically
Think first about the relation between condition and result.
Ejercicios zero conditional
Complete the sentences and then check the answers. The goal is to recognise present simple in both clauses.
Exercise 1
- If John _____ (take) his car, he _____ (get) there early.
- If fall _____ (start), trees _____ (lose) their leaves.
- It _____ (be) faster if you _____ (use) the metro.
- If she _____ (not know) the word, she _____ (write) it down.
Ver respuestas
Respuestas: takes / gets; starts / lose; is / use; does not know / writes.
Exercise 2
- What does he _____ (like) to play if he _____ (have) free time?
- If you _____ (mix) green and red, what color do you _____ (get)?
- If you _____ (feel) sleepy, _____ (drive, not).
- If I _____ (water, not) the plants, they _____ (die).
Ver respuestas
Respuestas: like / has; mix / get; feel / do not drive; do not water / die.
Preguntas frecuentes sobre el zero conditional
Qué es the zero conditional?
It is an English structure used for facts, rules, habits or results that are generally true when a condition is met.
Qué es the zero conditional structure?
The most common formula is if or when + present simple, followed by present simple.
When do we use if and when?
Use if to stress the condition. Use when when the result feels like a routine or certainty.
Qué es the difference between zero and first conditional?
Zero conditional describes general truths. First conditional describes a possible future result.
How do you form the negative?
Use do not or does not in the present simple: If plants do not get water, they do not grow.
How do you ask questions?
You can ask: What happens if you heat ice? or Does ice melt if you heat it?
Domina el zero conditional con una rutina clara
Mantén la fórmula simple, lee muchos ejemplos, compáralo con el first conditional y practica hasta que la estructura te resulte natural.