Use/usara/usaría

Use/usara/usaría
 

Hola, si quisiera decir, "I don't think I would use it", ¿cuál oración usaría?

No creo que lo/la use.

o

No creo que lo/la usara.

o

No creo que lo/la usaría.

¿A lo mejor la tercera oración, por que el tiempo condicional es igual a "would ___"? Por favor ayúdenme.

La segunda es la correcta.
The second is the correct one.

Hay que usar el subjuntivo porque hay incertidumbre, y se usa el imperfecto porque se trata de una situación condicional.
The subjunctive must be used because there's doubt. The imperfect subjunctive is used because you're talking about something conditional.

This may be just a difference in definition, but this may be rather confusing because the sentence given does not fall into the category of a conditional sentence. It is just the use of subjunctive in a negated expression of thinking or saying. No creo que sea importante for example. Or am I confused here? :thinking:

¡Gracias, Rusty!

No creo que sea importante.
I don't believe that it's important. -or-
I don't believe that it'll be important.

No creo que fuera importante.
I don't believe that it was important. -or-
I don't believe that it would be important.

It depends on what you're trying to say. :)

Depending on your context, 1 or 2, most probably, number 1. If you are tempted of using 2, the original sentence may have other bunch of translations context depending ("No creo que la vaya a usar", "No creo que la/lo use, llegado el caso.", "No me veo usándola/lo", etc.).

If you can provide exact contexts we can provide further explanation.

I was thinking of what I would say if someone asked me, "¿Por qué no estudias (otro idioma)?", and I wasn't able to come up with a satisfactory answer.

If you're sure you wouldn't use it:
Creo que no lo usaría.

If you have doubts whether you would use it or not:
No creo que lo usara.

Thank you! :)

If you are sure you won't use it you say "Porque no lo voy a usar". If you are not sure, you say "Creo que no lo voy a usar" and if you are thinking in you studying it and later not likely using it, you say "Porque creo que no lo usaría" (your decision of not studying it is linked to the expected outcome). If you have doubts, you say "Porque no creo que lo use". If you have a lot of doubts -you consider highly improbable to use it- "Porque no creo que lo usara jamás".