¡Si hubieras visto cómo nevaba! The pretérito pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo
The pretérito pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo is a compound verb tense used to introduce past actions that occurred before other past actions, but within the subjunctive mood, so it refers to hypothetical actions that didn't occur, unfulfilled wishes, unreal or uncertain situations, etc. Its most frequent use is in a type of conditional sentence in which the clause containing the verb in pretérito pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo, which introduces a condition, is accompanied by a clause in condicional compuesto, something we'll see in the next article. So, in this article you'll see examples of that type of conditional sentence, but focus on the grammatical structure of the pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo. As I was saying, in the next article we'll look at the condicional compuesto and, in the following one, conditional sentences in Spanish. Let's go!
Formation of the pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo.
The pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo is a compound tense: it’s formed with the verb haber as an auxiliary in pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo plus the past participle of the main verb. The verb haber is a very irregular verb, and its conjugation in pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo is no exception: it has a vowel change a → u in its stem. It does maintain the two conjugation forms of the rest of the verbs in pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo, namely, the endings in -ra and in -se. Also, of course, irregular participles exist in Spanish: in this article you can read more about this topic. Let’s look at the conjugation of the verb haber in pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo.
Yo hubiera/hubiese
Tú hubieras/hubieses
Él/ella/usted hubiera/hubiese
Nosotros/nosotras hubiéramos/hubiésemos
Vosotros/vosotras hubierais/hubieseis
Ellos/ellas/ustedes hubieran/hubiesen
As with the rest of the verbs in pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo, both forms are interchangeable, without subjective differences. Again, the -ra form is more frequent in spoken language and the -se form sounds more formal or more literary, but I repeat: I myself as a native speaker use both in my spoken language and if you ask me why in a specific case I used one or the other I can’t explain it.
The past participle.
The second element we need to form this verb tense is the past participle of the main verb, which is formed by removing the verb ending (-ar, -er, -ir) to obtain the stem, and to the stem you add -ado for verbs of the first group (hablar → hablado) and -ido to those of the second and third (comer → comido, vivir → vivido).
Uses.
Conditional sentences of the third type: this is the most frequent and most important use of this verb tense. In these constructions the clause in pretérito pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo, normally introduced by the conjunction si, introduces an unreal past condition that was no longer fulfilled.
Structure: Si + pretérito pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo (+ complements), + condicional compuesto (+ complements).
Si hubieras llegado en hora, no habrías perdido el tren. (If you had arrived on time, you wouldn’t have missed the train).
Si hubieras estudiado, habrías aprobado el examen. (If you had studied, you would have passed the exam).
As I was telling you before, focus on the structure of the pretérito pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo in this case. In the next two articles we’ll look at these conditional sentences again.
Concessive clauses with “aunque”: These introduce a hypothetical situation in the past that didn’t occur but, had it occurred, would not have changed the outcome of events.
Structure: Aunque + pretérito pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo (+ complements), + condicional perfecto (+ complements).
Aunque me hubieras llamado, no habría ido a la fiesta. (You didn’t call me, but even if you had called me, I wouldn’t have gone) / (Even if you had called me, I wouldn’t have gone to the party)
Aunque me hubieran ofrecido más dinero, no habría aceptado el trabajo. (They didn’t offer more money, but even in that case, I wouldn’t have accepted it) / (Even if they had offered me more money, I wouldn’t have accepted the job)
Aunque hubiéramos salido antes, habríamos llegado tarde por el tráfico. (We didn’t leave earlier, but even if we had done so, we would have arrived late) / (Even if we had left earlier, we would have arrived late because of the traffic)
Expressions of doubt, emotion or judgment about the past: generally accompanied by verbs in preterite tenses of indefinido, expressing a past reaction to an event prior to that reaction.
Yo dudaba que ellos hubieran dicho la verdad. (I doubted that they had told the truth).
Él no creía que tú hubieras hecho eso. (He didn’t believe that you had done that).
Me alegré de que hubieras conseguido el trabajo. (I was happy that you had gotten the job).
Expressing wishes or regrets about the past.
Ojalá hubiéramos comprado esa casa. (I wish we had bought that house). (But we didn’t buy it).
Me gustaría que hubieras estado en mi boda. (I would have liked you to have been at my wedding). (But you weren’t).
Ojalá no hubiera dicho eso. (I wish I hadn’t said that).(But I said it).
These are not all the uses of the pretérito pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo, but they are the most frequent ones in spoken language. In the next two articles we’ll delve deeper into its use in conditional sentences, which is by far the most frequent and important use. Here I leave you exercises to practice this topic and, if you have questions, write to me. Thanks for reading!
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