🌙 Pretérito Imperfecto de Subjuntivo 🌙
Master the Past Subjunctive - The Key to Hypothetical Worlds!
Remember when we talked about English having a subjunctive mood? Well, the Imperfect Subjunctive is exactly what you use when you say "If I were..." instead of "If I was..." in English! Look at these examples:
✓ "If I were you..." (not "was")
✓ "I wish I were taller." (not "was")
✓ "If he were here..." (not "was")
✓ "She acted as if she were the boss." (not "was")
In Spanish, the Imperfect Subjunctive serves this exact purpose! Every time you'd use "were" in English for hypothetical situations, you'll use the Imperfect Subjunctive in Spanish. The difference? Spanish uses it much more consistently and frequently!
These two subjunctive tenses work together just like the two past tenses in the Indicative. The key is time reference and context:
Present/Future Reference
Espero que vengas mañana.
(I hope you come tomorrow.)
Dudo que él esté aquí.
(I doubt he is here.)
Past Reference
Esperaba que vinieras ayer.
(I hoped you would come yesterday.)
Dudaba que él estuviera allí.
(I doubted he was there.)
Golden Rule:
If the main verb is in the past (imperfect, preterite, conditional), use Imperfect Subjunctive.
If the main verb is in the present/future, use Present Subjunctive.
Why This Power Matters
The Pretérito Imperfecto de Subjuntivo is essential for sophisticated Spanish. It's used in formal writing, hypothetical "if" clauses (si clauses), polite requests, expressing past wishes/doubts/emotions, and contrary to fact statements. Without it, you can't say "If I were rich...", "I wish I had...", or "It would be good if...". This tense is absolutely crucial for A-Level, and any advanced Spanish communication!
Spanish has TWO completely interchangeable forms for the Imperfect Subjunctive! Both mean exactly the same thing, and native speakers use both forms. According to the Real Academia Española (RAE), "Ambas formas son válidas y generalmente intercambiables" (Both forms are valid and generally interchangeable).
More Common Worldwide
Used in all Spanish-speaking regions
Approximately twice as frequent
cantara, comiera, viviera
More Formal/Literary
More common in Spain
Less frequent in Latin America
cantase, comiese, viviese
For this lesson:
We'll teach both forms equally because native speakers use both! You should learn to recognise and use both, though you may naturally prefer one over the other - just like native speakers do.
🏛️ Ancient Latin Origins
Both forms come from completely different Latin tenses that eventually merged into one Spanish tense over many centuries:
The -ARA/-IERA form comes from the Latin pluscuamperfect indicative (amaveram = "había amado" = "I had loved")
The -ASE/-IESE form comes from the Latin pluscuamperfect subjunctive (amavissem = "hubiera amado" = "I had loved [subjunctive]")
⚔️ The Medieval Merger (14th-17th Centuries)
Over hundreds of years, these two forms gradually came together! The -ARA form started as an indicative (statement) form but slowly took on subjunctive meanings. By the 17th century, they had essentially merged into one tense with two forms. Linguistic research by Urrutia Cárdenas and Álvarez Álvarez explains: "Al fundirse en -ra y -se en el imperfecto de subjuntivo, los significados de ambas formas han quedado identificados; tal identificación es el resultado de un largo proceso histórico" (When -ra and -se merged in the imperfect subjunctive, their meanings became identical; this identification is the result of a long historical process).
🌍 Modern Usage: Regional Preferences
Today, both forms are correct everywhere, but there are regional tendencies:
The -ARA/-IERA form:
• Used in ALL Spanish-speaking regions
• More common in Latin America
• About 2:1 preference over -ASE/-IESE
• Preferred in everyday speech
The -ASE/-IESE form:
• Still widely used in Spain
• Less frequent in Latin American speech
• More common in formal/literary writing
• "Mucho menos frecuente en el español americano que en el europeo" - RAE
💭 Why Native Speakers Use Both
As a native Spanish speaker myself, I can tell you that we often use both forms without thinking about it! Sometimes it's based on:
- Rhythm and flow: One form might sound better in a particular sentence
- Avoiding repetition: If I just used -ara, I might use -ase next
- Formality: I might use -ase in writing or formal settings
- Personal preference: Some people just prefer one sound over the other
- Regional influence: What we hear growing up affects our preferences
The RAE confirms this: "El predominio de una u otra depende de estilos o preferencias individuales o colectivas" (The predominance of one or the other depends on individual or collective styles or preferences).
⚠️ Important Exception!
There is ONE context where only the -ARA/-IERA form can be used: with the verbs poder, deber, and querer for polite requests or when they alternate with the conditional:
✓ Quisiera un café, por favor. (Correct)
✗ Quisiese un café, por favor. (Incorrect)
✓ Pudiera estar en lo cierto. (Correct)
✗ Pudiese estar en lo cierto. (Sounds wrong)
Here's the brilliant part: you already know how to form this tense! It uses the same stems as the Pretérito Perfecto Simple (the preterite you already learned). You just need to learn the new endings!
For -AR verbs: Take the stem + add -ara/-ase endings
For -ER verbs: Take the stem + add -iera/-iese endings
For -IR verbs: Take the stem + add -iera/-iese endings
-ER/-IR verbs change to "IE": comER → comIERA / comIESE, vivIR → vivIERA / vivIESE
Think: "AR verbs = ARA/ASE" and "ER/IR verbs = IERA/IESE"
Let's see how the regular verbs work with both forms. Remember: both forms are equally correct!
-ara / -ase
-aras / -ases
-ara / -ase
-áramos / -ásemos ⚠️
-arais / -aseis
-aran / -asen
-iera / -iese
-ieras / -ieses
-iera / -iese
-iéramos / -iésemos ⚠️
-ierais / -ieseis
-ieran / -iesen
-AR verbs: The accent goes on the A: cantáramos / cantásemos
-ER/-IR verbs: The accent goes on the E (not the i): comiéramos / comiésemos, viviéramos / viviésemos
Rule: The accent is on the vowel immediately after the stem, before the "r" or "s"!
| Pronombre | CANTAR (to sing) | COMER (to eat) | VIVIR (to live) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo |
cantara cantase |
comiera comiese |
viviera viviese |
| Tú |
cantaras cantases |
comieras comieses |
vivieras vivieses |
| Él / Ella / Usted |
cantara cantase |
comiera comiese |
viviera viviese |
| Nosotros/as |
cantáramos ⚠️ cantásemos ⚠️ |
comiéramos ⚠️ comiésemos ⚠️ |
viviéramos ⚠️ viviésemos ⚠️ |
| Vosotros/as |
cantarais cantaseis |
comierais comieseis |
vivierais vivieseis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes |
cantaran cantasen |
comieran comiesen |
vivieran viviesen |
1️⃣ -AR pattern (with A): -ara/-ase, -aras/-ases, etc.
2️⃣ -ER/-IR pattern (with IE): -iera/-iese, -ieras/-ieses, etc.
Here's the brilliant part: every irregular stem from the Pretérito Perfecto Simple carries over directly! You don't need to learn new irregular stems. If you mastered the preterite irregulars, you already know these stems!
Take the preterite stem you already know → Add the -iera/-iese endings
(Note: Even -AR verbs that are irregular use -iera/-iese, not -ara/-ase!)
Example: TENER → Preterite stem = tuv- → tuviera / tuviese
Remember these irregular preterite stems? They're back! Use the same stem + add the -iera/-iese endings:
Stem: tuv-
tuviera / tuviese
Stem: estuv-
estuviera / estuviese
Stem: pud-
pudiera / pudiese
Stem: pus-
pusiera / pusiese
Stem: sup-
supiera / supiese
Stem: hic-/hiz-
hiciera / hiciese
Stem: quis-
quisiera / quisiese
Stem: vin-
viniera / viniese
Stem: dij-
dijera / dijese
Stem: traj-
trajera / trajese
Stem: conduj-
condujera / condujese
Stem: anduv-
anduviera / anduviese
Just like in the preterite, SER and IR share the same forms. Context tells you which one!
Si yo fuera/fuese tú... = If I were you... (SER)
Si yo fuera/fuese al cine... = If I went to the cinema... (IR)
Remember how -IR verbs had vowel changes in the preterite? Those same changes appear here with the imperfect subjunctive endings!
Stem: durm- (with U)
Forms: durmiera / durmiese
Stem: pid- (with I)
Forms: pidiera / pidiese
Stem: sint- (with I)
Forms: sintiera / sintiese
Verbs whose stems end in a vowel had Y-changes in preterite. Those continue here:
Stem: ley-
leyera / leyese
Stem: oy-
oyera / oyese
Stem: cay-
cayera / cayese
Stem: crey-
creyera / creyese
Si clauses (also called conditional sentences) express hypothetical or contrary to fact situations. In English, we say "If I were rich, I would travel." Spanish uses the exact same structure with Imperfect Subjunctive + Conditional!
= If I were rich, I would travel around the world.
= If you had time, would you come with me?
= If she studied more, she would pass the exam.
= If we could, we would buy a house.
2. You can use either -ara/-ase or -iera/-iese form - they're interchangeable!
3. The two clauses can be reversed: "Viajaría por el mundo si fuera/fuese rico."
4. This structure expresses what would happen IF a condition (that probably isn't true) were met.
When to Wield This Power
Use Imperfect Subjunctive when:
1. After SI for hypotheticals
2. Main verb is in the past (quería que, dudaba que, etc.)
3. After "como si" (as if)
4. For very polite requests with querer/poder/deber (only -ara/-iera form!)
Both forms work except: Polite requests with querer/poder/deber use only -ara/-iera!
Always check: Is there a WEDDING trigger in the past? Use Imperfect Subjunctive!