Spanish grammar · Upper intermediate (B2)
The imperfect subjunctive: hablara, tuviera, fuera
How to form the Spanish imperfect subjunctive, when it replaces the present subjunctive, and how it's used in wishes, proposals and como si.
Forms
Take the form of the preterite, drop -ron and add -ra, -ras, -ra, -ramos, -rais, -ran. This works for every verb, including irregular ones: → , → , → , → (for both and ).
The form always has a written accent on the vowel before -ramos: , , , .
| Person | () | () | () | / () |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| / / | ||||
| / | ||||
| / | ||||
| / / |
The -se forms
There's a second set of endings: -se, -ses, -se, -semos, -seis, -sen (, , ). They mean exactly the same as the -ra forms. In speech the -ra forms are more common, but you'll often read the -se forms in books and newspapers.
- Si tuviese tiempo, iría.If I had time, I'd go.
- Me pidió que lo hiciese yo.She asked me to do it myself.
After a past trigger
The triggers you know from the present subjunctive (…) take the imperfect subjunctive when they're in a past tense or the conditional. English often uses an infinitive here: “She asked me to get a discount.”
| Present | Past or conditional |
|---|---|
Other uses
The imperfect subjunctive also appears in unreal sentences (si tuviera…, iría…), after for wishes that are unlikely (: I wish I had more time), after (as if) and in suggestions with ¿Y si…?. It also replaces the present subjunctive when you report requests: → .
- ¿Y si firmáramos un contrato de dos años?What if we signed a two-year contract?
- Ojalá tuviera más tiempo.I wish I had more time.
- Habla como si lo supiera todo.He talks as if he knew everything.
- Pidió a los vecinos que tuvieran paciencia.She asked the residents to be patient.