Imperfect Subjunctive in Spanish

Overview

The imperfect subjunctive (pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo) is one of the most important verb forms in Spanish. It extends the subjunctive mood into past and hypothetical contexts, allowing you to express wishes about unlikely situations, report what someone wanted or doubted in the past, and construct conditional sentences about unreal scenarios.

At the B2 level, this tense is essential for expressing yourself with the nuance and sophistication that native speakers expect. Without it, you cannot form "if I were..." sentences, express past wishes, or properly use reported speech with subjunctive triggers.

The imperfect subjunctive has a distinctive feature: it comes in two forms (-ra and -se), both of which are equally correct. The -ra form is overwhelmingly more common in speech, while the -se form appears more in formal writing. In practice, you should learn the -ra form first and recognize the -se form when you encounter it.

How It Works

Formation

The imperfect subjunctive is derived from the third person plural (ellos) of the preterite. Remove the -ron ending and add the imperfect subjunctive endings.

Step 1: Take the ellos preterite form:

• hablar → hablaron → habla-
• comer → comieron → comie-
• vivir → vivieron → vivie-
• tener → tuvieron → tuvie-
• ir/ser → fueron → fue-

Step 2: Add endings:

Person	-ra form	-se form
yo	-ra	-se
tú	-ras	-ses
él/ella/usted	-ra	-se
nosotros/as	-´ramos	-´semos
vosotros/as	-rais	-seis
ellos/ellas/ustedes	-ran	-sen

Note: The nosotros form always carries an accent mark.

Regular Examples

Verb	Preterite (ellos)	Imp. Subjunctive (yo)
hablar	hablaron	hablara / hablase
comer	comieron	comiera / comiese
vivir	vivieron	viviera / viviese

Irregular Examples

Because the imperfect subjunctive derives from the preterite, any verb irregular in the preterite is irregular here:

Verb	Preterite (ellos)	Imp. Subjunctive (yo)
tener	tuvieron	tuviera
poder	pudieron	pudiera
hacer	hicieron	hiciera
decir	dijeron	dijera
ir / ser	fueron	fuera
estar	estuvieron	estuviera
saber	supieron	supiera
querer	quisieron	quisiera
venir	vinieron	viniera
poner	pusieron	pusiera
traer	trajeron	trajera
dormir	durmieron	durmiera
pedir	pidieron	pidiera

Full Conjugation Examples

Person	Tener (tuviera)	Ir/Ser (fuera)	Hacer (hiciera)
yo	tuviera	fuera	hiciera
tú	tuvieras	fueras	hicieras
él/ella	tuviera	fuera	hiciera
nosotros	tuviéramos	fuéramos	hiciéramos
vosotros	tuvierais	fuerais	hicierais
ellos	tuvieran	fueran	hicieran

Main Uses

Use	Example	Translation
After past-tense subjunctive triggers	Quería que vinieras.	I wanted you to come.
Unreal conditionals (si clauses)	Si pudiera, lo haría.	If I could, I would do it.
Wishes (unlikely/impossible)	Ojalá estuvieras aquí.	I wish you were here.
After como si (as if)	Como si fuera verdad.	As if it were true.
Polite requests (quisiera)	Quisiera un café.	I would like a coffee.
After aunque (concessive)	Aunque lloviera, iría.	Even if it rained, I would go.

Examples in Context

Spanish	English	Note
Quería que vinieras.	I wanted you to come.	Past subjunctive trigger
Si pudiera, lo haría.	If I could, I would do it.	Unreal conditional
Ojalá estuvieras aquí.	I wish you were here.	Unlikely wish
Como si fuera verdad.	As if it were true.	como si always takes imperf. subj.
Me pidió que le ayudara.	He asked me to help him.	Past request
No creía que fuera posible.	I didn't think it was possible.	Past doubt
Quisiera hacer una pregunta.	I would like to ask a question.	Polite request
Si yo fuera tú, no iría.	If I were you, I wouldn't go.	Advice
Esperaba que llegaran a tiempo.	I hoped they would arrive on time.	Past wish
Habló como si supiera todo.	He spoke as if he knew everything.	como si
Aunque me pagaran, no lo haría.	Even if they paid me, I wouldn't do it.	Hypothetical concession
Dudaba que tuviera razón.	I doubted he was right.	Past doubt

Common Mistakes

Deriving from the wrong preterite form

• Wrong: Si yo tendría... or Si yo tenera...
• Right: Si yo tuviera...
• Why: The imperfect subjunctive must be derived from the ellos preterite form (tuvieron → tuviera). If you do not know the irregular preterite, you cannot form the imperfect subjunctive correctly.

Using the conditional after si instead of the imperfect subjunctive

• Wrong: Si tendría tiempo, viajaría.
• Right: Si tuviera tiempo, viajaría.
• Why: The conditional never follows si in conditional sentences. The si clause requires the imperfect subjunctive for hypothetical/unreal conditions.

Forgetting the accent on the nosotros form

• Wrong: Si nosotros pudieramos...
• Right: Si nosotros pudiéramos...
• Why: The nosotros form of the imperfect subjunctive always carries a written accent on the vowel before -ramos/-semos. This accent is mandatory.

Using the present subjunctive where the imperfect is needed

• Wrong: Quería que vengas.
• Right: Quería que vinieras.
• Why: When the main verb is in a past tense (quería), the subjunctive in the subordinate clause must also be past (imperfect subjunctive). This is the sequence-of-tenses rule.

Confusing -ra and -se forms

• Not wrong, but: Using the -se form exclusively in casual conversation can sound overly formal.
• Better: Use the -ra form in speech and recognize that -se means the same thing when you read it.
• Note: In some regions, the -ra form can also function as an alternative to the conditional (quisiera = querría), but the -se form cannot.

Usage Notes

The -ra form dominates in all registers and all regions of the Spanish-speaking world. The -se form (hablase, comiese, viviese) is fully grammatically correct and is still used in formal writing, legal texts, and literary prose. In everyday conversation, you may never hear it, but you will encounter it in reading.

The form quisiera (from querer) is widely used as an extra-polite alternative to querría (I would like) and is considered slightly more elegant: Quisiera un café vs. Querría un café. This is one of the few places where the -ra subjunctive can replace the conditional.

Como si (as if) always takes the imperfect subjunctive, regardless of the tense of the main verb: Habla como si supiera todo (present + imperfect subjunctive), Habló como si supiera todo (past + imperfect subjunctive).

Ojalá with the imperfect subjunctive expresses a wish that is unlikely or impossible: Ojalá pudiera ir (I wish I could go -- but I probably can't). Compare with ojalá + present subjunctive for a realistic hope: Ojalá pueda ir (I hope I can go -- and it might happen).

Practice Tips

• Master the preterite ellos forms first. If you know tuvieron, pudieron, hicieron, fueron, dijeron, you can easily derive the imperfect subjunctive for these crucial irregular verbs.
• Practice "if I were..." sentences every day: Si fuera presidente, si tuviera más tiempo, si pudiera elegir... This builds both the form and the most common use case simultaneously.
• Use quisiera in restaurants and shops as a polite way to order -- it is an immediately practical application of the imperfect subjunctive.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Present Subjunctive
• Next steps: Pluperfect Subjunctive, Sequence of Tenses, Subjunctive Alternation