Imperfect Subjunctive Verbs in Spanish

Imperfect Subjunctive Verbs in Spanish The imperfect subjunctive of Spanish is the simple past form of the subjunctive mood, the one used to refer to events or hypothesized events relating to the past (although it sometimes refers to the present). Although the equivalent verb form is rare in English, the imperfect subjunctive is an essential part of Spanish grammar. Key Takeaways: Imperfect Subjunctive in Spanish The imperfect subjunctive is the simple form of the past subjunctive.The imperfect subjunctive is used most often in a dependent clause that begins with  que.It can also follow  si  (the word for if) when referring to a condition that is unlikely. Spanish has two forms of the imperfect subjunctive, the -ra form and the -se form. The -ra form will be used for examples throughout this lesson because it is by far more common in speech. How To Use the Imperfect Subjunctive Like the present subjunctive, the imperfect subjunctive is used most often in sentences of the following form: Subject (may be implied) indicative verb que subject (may be implied) subjunctive verb The subject and indicative verb form what is known as an independent clause; que and what follows form a dependent clause. The imperfect subjunctive is most common when the independent clause is in the preterite, imperfect or conditional tense. The imperfect subjunctive also is used sometimes following si (the word for if). This lesson assumes that you know when to use the subjunctive and how it is conjugated. Here are the major uses of the imperfect subjunctive: Following a Past-Tense Independent Clause This use of the imperfect is the most straightforward, because all verbs clearly refer to the past. Note, however, that English may use a would in translation because of the sometimes hypothetical nature of the Spanish subjunctive: El gobierno ordenà ³ que se hablaran con los terroristas. (The government ordered them to speak to the terrorists.)Me asombrà ³ que nadie me diera apoyo. (It amazed me that nobody gave me support.)Todos esperbamos que dijera algo ms, pero eso fue todo. (We all hoped he would say something more, but that was all.)No querà ­a que mis hijos me vieran. (I didnt want my children to see me.) ¿Tenà ­as miedo que te matara? (Were you afraid he would kill you?) Following a Conditional Independent Clause The imperfect subjunctive can refer to a present possibility when it follows a main clause in a conditional tense. Such sentences cannot be translated word for word into English and may require the use of if or would: Nos gustarà ­a que hubiera ms participacià ³n. (We would like it if there were more participation. Note the use of the English subjunctive were in the translation.)Me temerà ­a que mi amigo tomara la misma actitud. (Id be afraid my friend would take on the same attitude.)Estarà ­a feliz que me dieras su opinion. (I would be happy if you gave me your opinion.) After Expressions of Possibility The main verb of a sentence following a word or phrase meaning maybe can be either in the indicative or the subjunctive. Use of the subjunctive may indicate considerable doubt on the speakers behalf that the statement is true. Quiz quisieran conocer los detalles. (Perhaps they wanted to know the details.)Tal vez pensaran que mis padres eran ricos. (Maybe they thought my parents were rich.)Posiblemente no tuvieran otras alternativas. (Possibly they didnt have other alternatives.) To Indicate an Unlikely Condition As with the English past subjunctive following if, the Spanish imperfect subjunctive can be used following si to indicate something that the speaker believes is false or highly unlikely. An example would be a sentence starting out si yo fuera rico (if I were rich). When used this way, the subjunctive verb is typically followed by verb in the conditional tense, such as si yo fuera rico, comprarà ­a un coche (if I were rich, I would buy a car). Note that the condition expressed by the subjunctive verb refers to the present. Si yo comprara la otra consola, podrà ­a ahorrar la diferencia para comprar juegos. (If I bought the other console, I could save the difference for buying games. See how comprara and bought refer to the present even though they take the form of past tenses.)Si estuvieras aquà ­, te estrecharà ­a entre mis brazos. (If you were here, Id hold you tightly in my arms.)Si viviera en Aragà ³n, me gustarà ­a esquiar. If I lived in Aragà ³n, Id like to ski. If you need to refer to a past condition, you can use the imperfect subjunctive of haber with a past participle to form the pluperfect subjunctive: Si yo hubiera comprado la otra consola, habrà ­a ahorrado la diferencia para comprar juegos. If I had bought the other console, I would have saved the difference to buy games.