This time, let’s take a look at the imperfect subjunctive, which is basically the past form of the subjunctive mood. If you’re already familiar with the present subjunctive, then you’ll find that the past subjunctive follows similar rules—just in a different time frame.
The imperfect subjunctive is used when talking about hypothetical situations, past wishes, doubts, polite requests, or unreal conditions. It’s also commonly seen in reported speech. Like the present subjunctive, it conveys uncertainty, emotions, or hypothetical scenarios, but it applies to events that happened in the past.
How to Form the Imperfect Subjunctive
The imperfect subjunctive is formed by taking the third-person plural (ellos/ellas/ustedes) of the preterite tense, dropping the “-ron” ending, and adding the following endings:
-ra endings (most commonly used):
Yo: -ra
Tú: -ras
Él/Ella/Usted: -ra
Nosotros: -ramos (note the accent on the vowel before “ramos”)
Vosotros: -rais
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: -ran
For example, let’s take the verb hablar:
hablara, hablaras, hablara, habláramos, hablarais, hablaran
And tener:
tuviera, tuvieras, tuviera, tuviéramos, tuvierais, tuvieran
(There’s also another set of endings, -se instead of -ra, which is less common in modern Spanish, but still correct: hablase, tuviese, etc.)
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
1. Past Wishes, Hopes, and Doubts
Just like in the present subjunctive, we use the imperfect subjunctive after verbs that express wishes, emotions, requests, or doubts, but in a past context.
Quería que vinieras a la fiesta. (I wanted you to come to the party.)
Esperaba que me llamaras antes. (I was hoping you would call me earlier.)
Dudaba que él tuviera razón. (I doubted that he was right.)
2. Hypothetical or Unreal Situations (Si Clauses)
The imperfect subjunctive is also key in conditional sentences with "si" (if) that express unreal or hypothetical situations. These usually follow the structure:
Si + imperfect subjunctive, conditional tense.
Si tuviera más dinero, viajaría por el mundo. (If I had more money, I would travel the world.)
Si fueras más paciente, aprenderías más rápido. (If you were more patient, you would learn faster.)
Si pudiera volar, no necesitaría un avión. (If I could fly, I wouldn’t need a plane.)
These sentences express things that aren’t true in reality but are imagined scenarios.
In contrast, when the condition is real or likely, we use the present indicative and future:
Si voy a Europa, compraré un traje. (If I go to Europe, I will buy a suit.) → Possible
Si fuera a Europa, compraría un traje. (If I went to Europe, I would buy a suit.) → Hypothetical
More advanced cases include:
Si + past perfect subjunctive, conditional perfect.
Si hubieras estudiado más, habrías aprobado. (If you had studied more, you would have passed.) → A hypothetical situation that did not happen.
Si + imperfect indicative, imperfect indicative.
Si estudiabas, sacabas buenas notas. (If you studied, you got good grades.) → A habitual past action.
3. Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)
When reporting what someone said in the past, the imperfect subjunctive is often used.
Me dijo que estudiara más. (He told me to study more.)
Le pedí que me ayudara. (I asked him to help me.)
4. Hypothetical Contrast with Aunque (Even Though / Even If)
Another key use of the imperfect subjunctive is when contrasting real vs. hypothetical conditions using aunque:
Aunque tenga dinero, no lo compraré. (Even if I have money, I won’t buy it.) → A real possibility.
Aunque tengo dinero, no lo compraré. (Even though I have money, I won’t buy it.) → A real fact, not hypothetical.
Aunque tuviera dinero, no lo compraría. (Even if I had money, I wouldn’t buy it.) → A purely hypothetical scenario.
5. Politeness and Softening Requests
If you want to sound more polite, especially when making a request, the imperfect subjunctive can be used with quisiera, but for other verbs, we generally use the conditional tense:
Quisiera hablar con el gerente. (I would like to speak with the manager.)
¿Podrías ayudarme con esto? (Could you help me with this?)
Deberías estudiar más. (You should study more.)
6. Past Perfect Subjunctive (Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo)
For even more advanced cases, the past perfect subjunctive (hubiera/hubiese + past participle) is used when referring to hypothetical past actions:
Si hubiera sabido, habría venido antes. (If I had known, I would have come earlier.)
Ojalá hubieras estado allí. (I wish you had been there.)
Dudaba que hubieras terminado el trabajo. (I doubted that you had finished the work.)
This tense is often used in si clauses to express regret or hypothetical past situations that never happened.
Final Thoughts
Mastering the imperfect and past perfect subjunctive can take time, but it’s crucial for sounding natural and fluent in Spanish. The more you practice it in different contexts—especially in hypothetical and past situations—the more intuitive it will become. Just remember that any time you would use the present subjunctive in a past-tense situation, the imperfect subjunctive is likely the right choice.
Comments