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What is the Spanish Imperfect Subjunctive?
The Spanish imperfect subjunctive (imperfecto de subjuntivo) is used to express past subjunctive actions, hypothetical situations, and polite requests. It has two forms: the -ra form and the -se form, which are generally interchangeable.
This tense is essential for expressing "si" (if) clauses, past desires, and hypothetical situations.
Examples
Si estudiara más, sacaría mejores notas.
If I studied more, I would get better grades.
Quería que vinieras conmigo.
I wanted you to come with me.
Ojalá tuviera más tiempo.
I wish I had more time.
Formation of the Imperfect Subjunctive
The imperfect subjunctive is formed from the third person plural (ellos) form of the preterite tense.
Formation Steps
1. Take the ellos form of the preterite
2. Remove the -ron ending
3. Add the imperfect subjunctive endings
hablar → hablaron → habla- → hablara/hablase
to speak
comer → comieron → comie- → comiera/comiese
to eat
vivir → vivieron → vivie- → viviera/viviese
to live
-RA Form Conjugation
The -ra form (more common in Latin America):
Hablar - Imperfect Subjunctive (-ra)
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hablara | I spoke |
| tú | hablaras | you spoke |
| él/ella/usted | hablara | he/she/you spoke |
| nosotros | habláramos | we spoke |
| vosotros | hablarais | you all spoke |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hablaran | they/you all spoke |
-SE Form Conjugation
The -se form (more common in Spain):
Hablar - Imperfect Subjunctive (-se)
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hablase | I spoke |
| tú | hablases | you spoke |
| él/ella/usted | hablase | he/she/you spoke |
| nosotros | hablásemos | we spoke |
| vosotros | hablaseis | you all spoke |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hablasen | they/you all spoke |
Uses of the Imperfect Subjunctive
The imperfect subjunctive has several important uses in Spanish.
Si Clauses (Hypothetical Situations)
Used in "si" clauses to express hypothetical or contrary-to-fact situations:
Si tuviera dinero, compraría una casa.
If I had money, I would buy a house.
Si fuera rico, viajaría por el mundo.
If I were rich, I would travel the world.
Si estudiaras más, aprobarías el examen.
If you studied more, you would pass the exam.
Past Subjunctive Context
Used when the main clause is in the past and requires subjunctive:
Quería que vinieras a la fiesta.
I wanted you to come to the party.
Era importante que estudiaras.
It was important that you studied.
Dudaba que fuera verdad.
I doubted that it was true.
Polite Requests and Wishes
Used for polite requests and expressing wishes:
Quisiera un café, por favor.
I would like a coffee, please.
Ojalá tuviera más tiempo.
I wish I had more time.
¿Pudieras ayudarme?
Could you help me?
Common Irregular Forms
Important irregular imperfect subjunctive forms to memorize.
Examples
ser/ir → fuera, fueras, fuera, fuéramos, fuerais, fueran
to be / to go
tener → tuviera, tuvieras, tuviera, tuviéramos, tuvierais, tuvieran
to have
hacer → hiciera, hicieras, hiciera, hiciéramos, hicierais, hicieran
to do/make
poder → pudiera, pudieras, pudiera, pudiéramos, pudierais, pudieran
to be able