Imperfect Subjunctive in Catalan

In Brief

Catalan uses the imperfect subjunctive for hypothetical conditions and for many dependent clauses viewed from a past or conditional main clause: Si pogués, ho faria (“If I could, I would do it”) and Volia que vinguessis (“I wanted you to come”). Its characteristic forms include cantés, perdés, dormís, fos, tingués, and hagués. Despite its name, it does not always refer to past time: in a hypothetical si clause, it can describe an unreal situation now or in the future.

Overview

The subjunctive is a verb mood (a set of forms showing how the speaker presents an action) rather than a simple time label. Catalan uses it when an event is wanted, doubted, required, feared, imagined, or otherwise presented as something other than a straightforward fact. Compare Sé que ve (“I know that he/she is coming”), which states information, with Dubtava que vingués (“I doubted that he/she would come”), which presents the event through doubt.

At B2, the imperfect subjunctive expands the system introduced with the present subjunctive. The trigger is often familiar; what changes is the time perspective. Vull que vinguis places the wish in the present, while Volia que vinguessis places it in a past setting. A conditional main verb can create the same shift: M'agradaria que vinguessis (“I would like you to come”).

English sometimes gives a useful clue—especially “If I were…”—but often hides the distinction. “I wanted you to come” uses an object plus an infinitive, whereas Catalan normally uses que and a subjunctive when the two clauses have different subjects: Volia que tu vinguessis. Learning the Catalan pattern directly is more reliable than trying to find an English subjunctive in every translation.

How It Works

Regular formation

The six forms follow two main sets of endings. First- and second-conjugation verbs normally use -és, while third-conjugation verbs normally use -ís.

Person	cantar “to sing”	perdre “to lose”	dormir “to sleep”
jo	cantés	perdés	dormís
tu	cantessis	perdessis	dormissis
ell / ella / vostè	cantés	perdés	dormís
nosaltres	cantéssim	perdéssim	dormíssim
vosaltres	cantéssiu	perdéssiu	dormíssiu
ells / elles / vostès	cantessin	perdessin	dormissin

The first- and third-person singular forms are identical, so the subject must come from context: jo cantés and ella cantés. Notice the written accents in cantéssim, cantéssiu, dormíssim, and dormíssiu. The inchoative element -eix- seen in present forms such as serveixo disappears here: servís, servissis, servís…

Some spelling changes preserve the sound of the stem before the ending: buscar → busqués, pagar → pagués, menjar → mengés, and començar → comencés. These are spelling adjustments, not separate uses of the mood.

High-frequency irregular forms

Common irregular verbs are best learned through the singular form and its stem. Once the stem is known, the rest of the paradigm is usually predictable.

Infinitive	1st/3rd singular	2nd singular	1st plural
ser	fos	fossis	fóssim
haver	hagués	haguessis	haguéssim
fer	fes	fessis	féssim
anar	anés	anessis	anéssim
estar	estigués	estiguessis	estiguéssim
tenir	tingués	tinguessis	tinguéssim
venir	vingués	vinguessis	vinguéssim
poder	pogués	poguessis	poguéssim
voler	volgués	volguessis	volguéssim
dir	digués	diguessis	diguéssim
saber	sabés	sabessis	sabéssim
veure	veiés	veiessis	veiéssim

Two complete paradigms worth memorising are fos, fossis, fos, fóssim, fóssiu, fossin and fes, fessis, fes, féssim, féssiu, fessin.

Hypothetical conditions with si

For a condition that is unlikely, imaginary, or contrary to present reality, use this pattern:

si + imperfect subjunctive + conditional

Si tingués més temps, aprendria una altra llengua. means “If I had more time, I would learn another language.” The imperfect subjunctive belongs in the condition; the conditional belongs in the result. The order may be reversed without changing the grammar: Aprendria una altra llengua si tingués més temps.

This contrasts with an open, realistic condition, which normally uses the present indicative (the ordinary fact-stating mood): Si tinc temps, vindré (“If I have time, I’ll come”). Choosing tingués makes the condition more remote: perhaps the speaker already knows that time is scarce.

Meaning	Condition	Result	Example
Open or possible	si + present indicative	present, future, or imperative	Si tens temps, truca'm.
Hypothetical now/future	si + imperfect subjunctive	conditional	Si tinguessis temps, podríem parlar.
Unreal past	si + pluperfect subjunctive	conditional perfect	Si haguessis tingut temps, hauríem parlat.

A past or conditional main clause

A subordinate clause is a dependent part introduced here most often by que. If a verb or expression normally triggers the present subjunctive, a past or conditional main clause commonly shifts that dependent verb to the imperfect subjunctive.

Main perspective	Dependent action	Example
Present	simultaneous or later	Vull que vinguis. — I want you to come.
Past	simultaneous or later relative to that past	Volia que vinguessis. — I wanted you to come.
Conditional	desired or imagined	Voldria que vinguessis. — I would like you to come.
Past	already completed before it	Dubtava que haguessis arribat. — I doubted that you had arrived.

The last row uses the pluperfect subjunctive—hagués/haguessis… plus a past participle (a form such as arribat or fet)—because the arrival happened before the past doubt. A past main verb therefore does not mechanically require the simple imperfect subjunctive; the timing between the two events still matters.

Common triggers include wishes (voler que), requests (demanar que), necessity (caldre que), emotion (alegrar-se que), doubt (dubtar que), denial (no creure que), and influence (fer que). The trigger and the time perspective work together.

Purpose, anticipation, and com si

A past purpose clause often uses perquè plus the imperfect subjunctive: Va repetir l'adreça perquè la poguéssim apuntar (“She repeated the address so that we could write it down”). Here perquè means “so that.” When it gives a factual cause—“because”—it normally takes the indicative: Va marxar perquè estava cansat (“He left because he was tired”).

Other conjunctions can also require the subjunctive. Abans que (“before”) presents an action as not yet realised from the main clause’s viewpoint: Vaig sortir abans que arribessin. After a past main clause, the dependent verb is imperfect subjunctive. Com si (“as if”) regularly takes an imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive: Parla com si ho sabés tot (“He talks as if he knew everything”). Notice that parla is present, yet sabés is imperfect subjunctive because com si expresses an unreal comparison.

Examples in Context

Catalan	English	Note
Si pogués, viuria a la costa.	If I could, I would live on the coast.	Hypothetical present situation
Si fos ric, viatjaria més sovint.	If I were rich, I would travel more often.	ser has the irregular form fos
Què faries si perdessis la feina?	What would you do if you lost your job?	Result clause comes first
Volia que vinguessis una mica abans.	I wanted you to come a little earlier.	Past wish; different subjects
La directora va demanar que esperéssim fora.	The director asked us to wait outside.	Past request
No creia que ho sabés.	I didn’t think he/she knew it.	Negated belief in a past setting
Ens alegrava que estiguessis amb nosaltres.	We were glad that you were with us.	Emotion about a past situation
Van abaixar la música perquè el nen dormís.	They turned the music down so that the child could sleep.	Past purpose
Vaig tancar la porta abans que entrés el gat.	I closed the door before the cat came in.	abans que + subjunctive
Em va parlar com si em conegués de tota la vida.	He/she spoke to me as if he/she had known me all my life.	Unreal comparison with com si
M'agradaria que fossis sincer amb mi.	I would like you to be honest with me.	Conditional main clause
Tant de bo no plogués demà.	If only it wouldn’t rain tomorrow.	A wish viewed as uncertain or unlikely
Buscaven algú que sabés reparar bicicletes.	They were looking for someone who knew how to repair bicycles.	The person was not identified
Dubtava que haguessin rebut el missatge.	I doubted that they had received the message.	Earlier completed action: pluperfect subjunctive

Common Mistakes

Putting the conditional after si

• Wrong: Si podria, vindria.
• Right: Si pogués, vindria.
• Why: In a hypothetical condition, Catalan uses the imperfect subjunctive after si. The conditional appears in the result. English “would” can tempt learners into putting a conditional in both halves.

Using the present subjunctive after a past wish

• Wrong: Volia que vinguis.
• Right: Volia que vinguessis.
• Why: The wish is viewed from the past, so a simultaneous or later dependent action normally shifts from present to imperfect subjunctive.

Treating every past subordinate clause as subjunctive

• Wrong: Sabia que vinguessis cada dilluns.
• Right: Sabia que venies cada dilluns.
• Why: Saber que states information as fact and normally takes the indicative. Past time alone does not trigger the subjunctive.

Using que when both verbs have the same subject

• Awkward for the intended meaning: Jo volia que jo marxés aviat.
• Natural: Volia marxar aviat.
• Why: With one subject, Catalan normally uses an infinitive: “I wanted to leave.” Use que plus the subjunctive when the dependent clause has its own subject: Volia que ella marxés aviat.

Ignoring which event happened first

• Wrong: Dubtava que arribés abans de la reunió when the intended meaning is “I doubted that he had arrived before the meeting.”
• Right: Dubtava que hagués arribat abans de la reunió.
• Why: Use the pluperfect subjunctive for an action already completed before the past reference point. Use arribés when the arrival is simultaneous, expected later, or viewed as an unfolding possibility.

Usage Notes

The imperfect subjunctive is normal in both conversation and writing; it is not merely literary. Forms such as fos, pogués, tingués, and vingués occur frequently because hypothetical conditions, polite wishes, and reports of past desires are everyday communicative needs. Subject pronouns are often omitted because the ending and context identify the subject, although jo and third-person singular have identical forms.

A conditional main clause can soften a request or wish: Voldria que reviséssiu el document sounds more tentative and courteous than a direct command. With tant de bo, the choice of tense adds nuance. The present subjunctive can present an attainable hope—Tant de bo vingui! (“I hope he/she comes!”)—while the imperfect often makes the wish feel more remote or less likely: Tant de bo vingués! (“If only he/she would come!”).

In much of Valencian, forms in -ara, -era, -ira are also used for the imperfect subjunctive, such as cantara alongside cantés. Learners will encounter regional preferences, but should keep one paradigm consistent while building fluency. The -és/-ís forms taught above are widely understood across the Catalan-speaking area.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Indefinite and non-existent antecedents

A relative clause can take the imperfect subjunctive when its antecedent (the person or thing being described) was unknown, sought, denied, or not known to exist. Buscaven una casa que tingués jardí means they were looking for a house meeting that requirement; it does not state that such a house existed. Compare Van visitar una casa que tenia jardí, where tenia presents the garden as a fact about a specific house.

Concessive and scalar meanings

Subjunctive choice can show that a fact is not being asserted because its truth is open or irrelevant. In a past narrative, Encara que fos car, el comprarien means “Even if it were expensive, they would buy it.” If the expense is accepted as fact, the indicative is natural: Encara que era car, el van comprar (“Although it was expensive, they bought it”). The difference is not simply between two conjunctions; it is between hypothetical and asserted information.

Imperfect versus pluperfect in unreal comparisons

With com si, use the imperfect subjunctive for a simultaneous unreal situation: Em tracta com si fos un nen (“He/she treats me as if I were a child”). Use the pluperfect subjunctive for something imagined as already completed: Em mirava com si hagués dit una barbaritat (“He/she looked at me as if I had said something outrageous”). This same time contrast is central to complex conditionals.

Sequence is a relationship, not agreement by formula

Advanced Catalan allows tense choices that reflect the speaker’s intended viewpoint, not just the tense of the nearest verb. A past reporting verb often attracts the imperfect subjunctive, but a statement that remains relevant can be framed from the present in suitable contexts. Instead of memorising “past verb equals imperfect subjunctive,” ask two questions: does this construction require the subjunctive, and is the dependent event simultaneous/later or already completed relative to its reference point? This prepares you for the fuller sequence of tenses.

Practice Tips

1. Transform present pairs into past pairs. Start with Vull que vinguis, Dubto que ho sàpiga, and Cal que ho fem. Then change the main clause: Volia que vinguessis, Dubtava que ho sabés, Calia que ho féssim. This builds tense choice and forms together.
2. Build two-column condition cards. Put a realistic condition on one side—Si tinc temps, hi aniré—and a remote version on the other—Si tingués temps, hi aniria. Say both aloud so the meaning contrast becomes automatic.
3. Learn irregulars in useful chunks. Practise si fos, si pogués, si tingués, volia que vinguessis, and m'agradaria que fessis… rather than isolated conjugations. Then replace the subject to produce fessis, féssim, féssiu, and fessin.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Present Subjunctive — introduces the mood and its most common triggers.
• Next step: Complex Conditionals — combines imperfect and pluperfect subjunctives with conditional results.
• Advanced: Advanced Subordination — develops mood choice in more complex dependent clauses.
• Advanced: Sequence of Tenses — explains how time relationships shape tense choice across clauses.