Oct 5, 2026·1 min read·Graded Spanish · word-by-word audio
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Pedro Sánchez es el presidente de España. Ahora piensa en unas elecciones anticipadas. ¿Por qué? Porque hay una crisis de vivienda y el gobierno no tiene suficientes votos en el parlamento. Muchas personas protestan por el derecho a la vivienda. Sánchez quiere saber qué piensan los españoles antes de decidir. Una encuesta reciente muestra datos malos para el PSOE, el partido de Sánchez.
La izquierda no tiene buenos resultados. Sumar, el partido de izquierda, solo obtiene el 6,6% de los votos. Podemos obtiene el 3,3%. Los dos partidos juntos suman 11 escaños, muchos menos que antes. La gente que deja de votar al PSOE no vota a Sumar. Muchos votantes del PSOE ahora votan a Vox o al PP.
Con estos números, Sánchez no puede formar gobierno. La derecha tiene más de 200 escaños y la izquierda está en mínimos. Por eso Sánchez piensa en adelantar las elecciones. Pero antes quiere escuchar a la gente. Las protestas por la vivienda son muy grandes. Es un momento difícil para el gobierno de España.
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Watch out, English speaker
Spanish uses the present tense in both clauses of a real conditional: Si hay elecciones hoy, el PSOE solo obtiene el 25,6%. English speakers often want to say If there are elections today, the PSOE will only get 25.6%, adding 'will' in the main clause. In Spanish, do not use the future here; keep the main clause in the present.
Spanish 'si' can mean both 'if' and 'whether', but in this pattern it is always 'if' and never takes the future subjunctive. English speakers may try si habrá or si tendrá, which is wrong. Use si + present indicative, and keep the main clause present as well.
Key vocabulary
presidentem.
prime minister, president
“Pedro Sánchez es el presidente de España.”— Pedro Sánchez is the prime minister of Spain.
Pattern presidente del gobierno government prime minister
Compare jefe de Estado head of state
plural presidentes
💡 From Latin praesidens, meaning "one who sits in front," extended to mean "chairman, president."
eleccionesf.
elections
“Ahora piensa en unas elecciones anticipadas.”— Now he is thinking about a snap election.
Pattern elecciones anticipadas early elections
Compare comicios elections
singular elección
💡 From Latin eligere (to choose), the verb is elegir (to choose).
viviendaf.
housing
“Hay una crisis de vivienda.”— There is a housing crisis.
Pattern crisis de vivienda housing crisis
Compare casa house
plural viviendas
💡 From the verb vivir (to live), vivienda is "a place to live."
encuestaf.
poll, survey
“Una encuesta reciente muestra datos malos.”— A recent poll shows bad numbers.
Pattern encuesta reciente recent poll
Compare sondeo poll
plural encuestas
💡 From Latin inquisita (inquiry), cognate with English inquest.
escañom.
seat (in parliament)
“El PSOE solo obtiene 103 escaños.”— The PSOE only gets 103 seats.
Pattern obtener escaños obtain seats
Compare asiento seat
plural escaños
💡 Originally meant "bench"; in politics it refers to a seat in parliament.
derechaf.
the right (politics)
“El PP es el partido de la derecha.”— The PP is the party of the right.
Pattern partido de derecha right-wing party
Compare conservadores conservatives
plural derechas
💡 Originally meant "right hand"; in politics it refers to conservatives.
izquierdaf.
the left (politics)
“La izquierda no tiene buenos resultados.”— The left does not have good results.
Pattern partido de izquierda left-wing party
Compare progresistas progressives
plural izquierdas
💡 Originally meant "left hand"; in politics it refers to progressives.
votantem./f.
voter
“Muchos votantes del PSOE ahora votan a Vox.”— Many PSOE voters now vote for Vox.
Pattern votante del PSOE PSOE voter
Compare elector voter
plural votantes
💡 From the verb votar (to vote); -ante means "person who does..."
gobiernom.
government
“Sánchez no puede formar gobierno.”— Sánchez cannot form a government.
Pattern formar gobierno form a government
Compare administración administration
plural gobiernos
💡 From the verb gobernar (to govern); note the spelling of b and v.
protestaf.
protest
“Las protestas por la vivienda son muy grandes.”— The housing protests are very big.
Pattern protesta por la vivienda housing protest
Compare manifestación demonstration
plural protestas
💡 From the verb protestar (to protest), cognate with English protest.
Grammar spotlight
Conditional sentences: si + present tense
A2
Use si to introduce a conditional sentence meaning 'if... then...'. The verb after si is in the present tense, and the main clause also uses the present tense.
“Si hay elecciones hoy, el PSOE solo obtiene el 25,6% de los votos.”— If there are elections today, the PSOE only gets 25.6% of the votes.
⚠️ Don't use si + future tense; use si + present tense.
Sentence patterns to steal
Si hay elecciones hoy, el PSOE solo obtiene el 25,6% de los votos.
If there are elections today, the PSOE only gets 25.6% of the votes.
Si + present tense, + main clause in present tenseYou can replace the party name and the percentage.
La derecha tiene más de 200 escaños y la izquierda está en mínimos.
The right has more than 200 seats and the left is at its lowest.
A has more than + number + noun, and B is at + nounYou can replace the subjects A and B and the number.
Es un momento difícil para el gobierno de España.
It is a difficult moment for the Spanish government.
It is a + adjective + moment + for + nounDifícil can be replaced with other adjectives, such as importante or complicado.
Spain's Electoral System
Spain is a parliamentary monarchy, and the prime minister is elected by parliament. The parliament is divided into the Congress of Deputies and the Senate; the Congress has 350 seats, and 176 seats constitute an absolute majority, enough to form a government alone. If no party wins an absolute majority, it must govern in coalition with other parties.