{"id":21556,"date":"2025-10-23T03:36:45","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T01:36:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/conexionsp.com\/quien-pudiera-vivir-viajando-the-preterito-imperfecto-de-subjuntivo\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T08:23:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T07:23:09","slug":"quien-pudiera-vivir-viajando-the-preterito-imperfecto-de-subjuntivo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/conexionsp.com\/en\/quien-pudiera-vivir-viajando-the-preterito-imperfecto-de-subjuntivo\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00a1Qui\u00e9n pudiera vivir viajando! The pret\u00e9rito imperfecto de subjuntivo"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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s we saw in the first article where we talked about the subjunctive, this verb mood is used to talk about the hypothetical, the unreal, wishes and things like that. In this article we will see a new verb tense of the subjunctive mood: the pret\u00e9rito imperfecto. The subjunctive mood, as I already wrote in that first article, is complex. Thus, the pret\u00e9rito imperfecto de subjuntivo, as we will see, beyond being a preterite tense, can refer to the past, present and future. Always hypothetically. So, we will see the conjugation in pret\u00e9rito imperfecto de subjuntivo, its uses, what verb tenses usually accompany it, a brief comparison with the presente de subjuntivo and examples of use. Let's go!<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Regular conjugation:<\/strong> I don’t really like conjugation rules like the one I’m going to describe below. I don’t like them because for me, as a foreign language learner, they don’t help me much. In fact, they make me think about the rule when I want to speak and they make my pauses, when I don’t remember how to conjugate a verb, longer. But not all learners are the same: if it works for you, use it. You take the third person plural of a verb in pret\u00e9rito indefinido (ellos, ellas \/ they), remove the ending -ron and to that you add the endings of the preterite imperfect subjunctive, which are two different groups of endings. Let’s see examples:<\/p>

1\u00ba grupo: cantar (canta<\/b>ron<\/b>)<\/b><\/p>

Yo cantara<\/b>\/cantase<\/b><\/p>

T\u00fa cantaras<\/b>\/cantases<\/b><\/p>

\u00c9l\/Ella\/Usted cantara<\/b>\/cantase<\/b><\/p>

Nosotros\/as cant\u00e1ramos<\/b>\/cant\u00e1semos<\/b><\/p>

Vosotros\/as cantarais<\/b>\/cantaseis<\/b><\/p>

Ellos\/Ellas\/Ustedes cantaran<\/b>\/cantasen<\/b><\/p>

2\u00ba grupo: comer (comie<\/b>ron<\/b>)<\/b><\/p>

Yo comiera<\/b>\/comiese<\/b><\/p>

T\u00fa comieras<\/b>\/comieses<\/b><\/p>

\u00c9l\/Ella\/Usted comiera<\/b>\/comiese<\/b><\/p>

Nosotros\/as comi\u00e9ramos<\/b>\/comi\u00e9semos<\/b><\/p>

Vosotros\/as comierais<\/b>\/comieseis<\/b><\/p>

Ellos\/Ellas\/Ustedes comieran<\/b>\/comiesen<\/b><\/p>

3\u00ba grupo: vivir (vivie<\/b>ron<\/b>)<\/b><\/p>

Yo viviera<\/b>\/viviese<\/b><\/p>

T\u00fa vivieras<\/b>\/vivieses<\/b><\/p>

\u00c9l\/Ella\/Usted viviera<\/b>\/viviese<\/b><\/p>

Nosotros\/as vivi\u00e9ramos<\/b>\/vivi\u00e9semos<\/b><\/p>

Vosotros\/as vivierais<\/b>\/vivieseis<\/b><\/p>

Ellos\/Ellas\/Ustedes vivieran<\/b>\/viviesen<\/b><\/p>

Both forms, for example comiera<\/em> and comiese<\/em> are equivalent. It doesn’t matter which one you use, you will be understood. Now, the comiera<\/em> form is the most used in spoken language, and the comiese<\/em> form sounds more literary. Still, I tell you, as a native speaker I use both in colloquial language, much more frequently the first form than the second, because it is the most used in spoken language, but sometimes I use the second and, if you ask me why, I can’t answer you. It’s simply what comes out when I speak.<\/p>

Irregular conjugation:<\/strong> as I said before, I don’t like conjugation rules, but this part of this rule that is valid for the pret\u00e9rito imperfecto de subjuntivo I do like, because it systematizes irregular conjugation. As we saw in the previous paragraph, to form the regular conjugation of the pret\u00e9rito imperfecto de subjuntivo we take the third person plural of the pret\u00e9rito indefinido de indicativo, remove the ending -ron and add the endings of the pret\u00e9rito imperfecto de subjuntivo. For the case of irregular verbs this is the same: all verbs that are irregular in pret\u00e9rito indefinido de indicativo are irregular in pret\u00e9rito imperfecto de subjuntivo, almost all maintain the same irregularity in the root and, to form the pret\u00e9rito imperfecto de subjuntivo we do the same thing: we remove the ending -ron and add the same endings as for regular verbs. Let’s see some examples and a small list of frequently used irregular verbs.<\/p>

Ser\/Ir (fue<\/b>ron<\/b>)<\/b><\/p>

yo fuera\/fuese<\/p>

t\u00fa fueras\/fueses<\/p>

\u00e9l\/ella\/usted fuera\/fuese<\/p>

nosotros\/nosotras fu\u00e9ramos\/fu\u00e9semos<\/p>

vosotros\/vosotras fuerais\/fueseis<\/p>

ellos\/ellas\/ustedes fueran\/fuesen<\/p>

Estar (estuvie<\/b>ron<\/b>)<\/b><\/p>

yo estuviera\/estuviese<\/p>

t\u00fa estuvieras\/estuvieses<\/p>

\u00e9l\/ella\/usted estuviera\/estuviese<\/p>

nosotros\/nosotras estuvi\u00e9ramos\/estuvi\u00e9semos<\/p>

vosotros\/vosotras estuvierais\/estuvieseis<\/p>

ellos\/ellas\/ustedes estuvieran\/estuviesen<\/p>

Tener (tuvie<\/b>ron<\/b>)<\/b><\/p>

yo tuviera\/tuviese<\/p>

t\u00fa tuvieras\/tuvieses<\/p>

\u00e9l\/ella\/usted tuviera\/tuviese<\/p>

nosotros\/nosotras tuvi\u00e9ramos\/tuvi\u00e9semos<\/p>

vosotros\/vosotras tuvierais\/tuvieseis<\/p>

ellos\/ellas\/ustedes tuvieran\/tuviesen<\/p>

Hacer (hicie<\/b>ron<\/b>)<\/b><\/p>

yo hiciera\/hiciese<\/p>

t\u00fa hicieras\/hicieses<\/p>

\u00e9l\/ella\/usted hiciera\/hiciese<\/p>

nosotros\/nosotras hici\u00e9ramos\/hici\u00e9semos<\/p>

vosotros\/vosotras hicierais\/hicieseis<\/p>

ellos\/ellas\/ustedes hicieran\/hiciesen<\/p>

Decir (dije<\/b>ron<\/b>)<\/b><\/p>

yo dijera\/dijese<\/p>

t\u00fa dijeras\/dijeses<\/p>

\u00e9l\/ella\/usted dijera\/dijese<\/p>

nosotros\/nosotras dij\u00e9ramos\/dij\u00e9semos<\/p>

vosotros\/vosotras dijerais\/dijeseis<\/p>

ellos\/ellas\/ustedes dijeran\/dijesen<\/p>

Poder (pudie<\/b>ron<\/b>)<\/b><\/p>

yo pudiera\/pudiese<\/p>

t\u00fa pudieras\/pudieses<\/p>

\u00e9l\/ella\/usted pudiera\/pudiese<\/p>

nosotros\/nosotras pudi\u00e9ramos\/pudi\u00e9semos<\/p>

vosotros\/vosotras pudierais\/pudieseis<\/p>

ellos\/ellas\/ustedes pudieran\/pudiesen<\/p>

Venir (vinie<\/b>ron<\/b>)<\/b><\/p>

yo viniera\/viniese<\/p>

t\u00fa vinieras\/vinieses<\/p>

\u00e9l\/ella\/usted viniera\/viniese<\/p>

nosotros\/nosotras vini\u00e9ramos\/vini\u00e9semos<\/p>

vosotros\/vosotras vinierais\/vinieseis<\/p>

ellos\/ellas\/ustedes vinieran\/viniesen<\/p>

Otros verbos irregulares: <\/b>dar, estar, haber, poner, querer, saber, caer, leer, o\u00edr, hu\u00edr, traducir, traer, re\u00edr.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The subjunctive mood, as we saw in this<\/strong> <\/a>article, refers to the unreal, the hypothetical, wishes, etc., and the pret\u00e9rito perfecto de subjuntivo is no exception. Furthermore, as we will see, although it is a preterite tense, it can refer, in addition to the past, to the present and even the future. This is because certain grammatical constructions require the use of the pret\u00e9rito perfecto de subjuntivo regardless of whether they refer to the past.<\/p>

Subordinate clauses with main verb in a past tense.<\/strong><\/p>

When the verb of the main clause is in a past tense (pret\u00e9rito indefinido, imperfecto o pluscuamperfecto), and the subordinate clause requires subjunctive, we must use the pret\u00e9rito imperfecto de subjuntivo.<\/p>

Examples:<\/strong><\/p>

Mi madre quer\u00eda que yo estudiara medicina (My mother wanted me to study medicine). (She wanted this in the past).<\/p>

Te ped\u00ed que vinieras temprano (I asked you to come early). (The request occurred in the past).<\/p>

No cre\u00eda que fuera tan dif\u00edcil (I didn’t believe it was so difficult). (The belief was in the past).<\/p>

Me sorprendi\u00f3 que dijeras eso (It surprised me that you said that). (The surprise was in the past).<\/p>

Esper\u00e1bamos que hiciera buen tiempo (We hoped the weather would be good). (The hope existed in the past).<\/p>

Conditional sentences (Si + imperfecto de subjuntivo).<\/strong><\/p>

The pret\u00e9rito imperfecto de subjuntivo is used in type II conditional sentences to express hypothetical situations or situations contrary to present reality. We will see conditional sentences in depth in an upcoming article.<\/p>

Structure:<\/strong> Si + imperfecto de subjuntivo + condicional simple:<\/p>

Si tuviera dinero, viajar\u00eda por el mundo (If I had money, I would travel the world). (I don’t have money now).<\/p>

Si estudiaras m\u00e1s, aprobar\u00edas el examen (If you studied more, you would pass the exam). (You don’t study enough).<\/p>

Si fuera rico, comprar\u00eda una casa en la playa (If I were rich, I would buy a house at the beach). (I’m not rich).<\/p>

Si pudi\u00e9ramos, te ayudar\u00edamos (If we could, we would help you). (We can’t help you).<\/p>

Si supiera la respuesta, te la dir\u00eda (If I knew the answer, I would tell you). (I don’t know the answer).<\/p>

In sentences with “aunque”.<\/strong><\/p>

When “aunque” introduces an action in the past and the main verb is also in the past, we use the imperfect subjunctive. It’s also used when we want to express a hypothetical or unreal concession in relation to the present or future, with the other verb in the conditional.<\/p>

Aunque lloviera, siempre sal\u00edamos a caminar.<\/em> (Even if it rained, we always went out for a walk). \/ (Habitual action in the past).<\/p>

No quiso venir aunque se lo pidiera varias veces.<\/em> (He\/She didn’t want to come even though I asked him\/her several times). \/ (Reference to the past).<\/p>

Lo har\u00eda aunque me costara mucho esfuerzo.<\/em> (I would do it even if it took a lot of effort). \/ (Hypothetical in present\/future).<\/p>

No cambiar\u00eda de opini\u00f3n aunque me lo pidieran.<\/em> (I wouldn’t change my mind even if they asked me to). \/ (Hypothetical in present\/future).<\/p>

Expressing improbable or impossible wishes.<\/strong><\/p>

It is used with verbs like “querer”, “desear”, or expressions like “ojal\u00e1” to express wishes that are improbable or impossible in the present.<\/p>

Examples:<\/strong><\/p>

Ojal\u00e1 tuviera m\u00e1s tiempo libre (I wish I had more free time). (But I don’t have it).<\/p>

Quisiera que estuvieras aqu\u00ed (I wish you were here).<\/p>

(But you’re not). Desear\u00eda que las cosas fueran diferentes (I wish things were different). (But they’re not).<\/p>

Ojal\u00e1 supiera hablar franc\u00e9s (I wish I knew how to speak French). (But I don’t speak it).<\/p>

Me gustar\u00eda que me comprendieras (I would like you to understand me). (But it seems you don’t understand me).<\/p>

After “como si”.<\/strong><\/p>

The expression “como si” is always followed by the preterite imperfect subjunctive because it expresses a comparison with something unreal or hypothetical.<\/p>

Examples:<\/strong><\/p>

Habla espa\u00f1ol como si fuera nativo (He speaks Spanish as if he were a native speaker). (But he’s not a native speaker).<\/p>

Me tratas como si fuera un ni\u00f1o (You treat me as if I were a child). (But I’m not a child).<\/p>

Gasta dinero como si fuera millonario (He spends money as if he were a millionaire). (But he’s not a millionaire).<\/p>

Act\u00faa como si no pasara nada (He acts as if nothing were happening). (But something is happening).<\/p>

Me mira como si no me conociera (He looks at me as if he didn’t know me). (But he does know me).<\/p>

As I was saying before, this verb tense can refer to the past, present or future. In mi madre quer\u00eda que yo estudiara medicina<\/em> (my mother wanted me to study medicine) we refer to the past, since the mother had that wish in the past. In si estudiaras m\u00e1s, tendr\u00edas mejores notas<\/em> (if you studied more, you would have better grades) we refer to the present, since if the condition is met, which is something possible in the present, the consequence could occur, which is hypothetical. And in me gustar\u00eda que vinieras a casa el pr\u00f3ximo s\u00e1bado<\/em> (I would like you to come home next Saturday) we refer to the future, and in this case we use the preterite imperfect subjunctive because the verb gustar<\/em> is in conditional, which requires the use of the pret\u00e9rito perfecto de subjuntivo in the subordinate clause. In certain cases, moreover, constructions with presente\u00a0 de subjuntivo and pret\u00e9rito imperfecto de subjuntivo with similar, though not identical, meanings are valid. For example, we can say necesito que me digas la verdad<\/em> (I need you to tell me the truth) or necesitar\u00eda que me dijeras la verdad<\/em> (I’d need you to tell me the truth), the first option being an almost imperative form and the second a kinder form with a greater degree of unreality of requesting the same thing. Here<\/strong> <\/a>you can read more about the presente de subjuntivo to compare the use of both verb tenses: you will see that the difference in choosing one or the other depends on the tense in which the other verb present in the statement is conjugated.<\/p>

We have reached the end of this article. The subjunctive mood is, without a doubt, one of the most difficult things about the Spanish language, but don’t worry. It’s normal that while you develop your interlanguage you make mistakes using the subjunctive, but in general those mistakes don’t prevent communication. Furthermore, the subjunctive is used so frequently in the language that, if you use the language often, you will quickly get used to its use. Here<\/strong> <\/a>I leave you exercises to practice this topic and, if you have questions, write to me.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>Prev<\/span><\/span>Anterior<\/span>Using the comma in Spanish: subordinate clauses<\/span><\/span><\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\tSiguiente<\/span>The pret\u00e9rito imperfecto de subjuntivo: fill in the blanks<\/span><\/span><\/path><\/svg>Next<\/span><\/span><\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The pret\u00e9rito imperfecto de subjuntivo in Spanish.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20522,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[144],"tags":[158],"class_list":["post-21556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-grammar","tag-feed-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/conexionsp.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/conexionsp.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/conexionsp.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conexionsp.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conexionsp.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21556"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/conexionsp.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21556\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21903,"href":"https:\/\/conexionsp.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21556\/revisions\/21903"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conexionsp.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/conexionsp.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conexionsp.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conexionsp.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}