Past subjunctive
Type the missing word in each sentence. You hear each sentence read by a native voice.
Le aconsejé que (descansar).
I advised him to take a rest.
The rule
Despite its name, it often describes imagined situations in the present or future, not only the past. It is the key to expressing "if I had..." and "I wish..." sentences in Spanish.
The pattern
The most common use is the imagined condition: si + past subjunctive, then a conditional result.
Si tuviera dinero, viajaría. = If I had money, I would travel.
To form the past subjunctive, take the ellos/ustedes preterite, drop -ron, and add: -ra, -ras, -ra, -ramos, -ran. In Spain, vosotros takes -rais: hablarais.
| Preterite (ellos) | Stem | Past subjunctive (yo) |
|---|---|---|
| hablaron | habla- | hablara |
| comieron | comie- | comiera |
| tuvieron | tuvie- | tuviera |
| dijeron | dije- | dijera |
| fueron | fue- | fuera |
The nosotros form always carries an accent: habláramos, comiéramos.
The same rule gives haber: hubieron becomes hubiera. That is the form behind si hubiera sabido and behind the pluperfect subjunctive, hubiera + participle.
This mirrors how the present subjunctive builds on the yo form: the past subjunctive builds on the ellos preterite stem. There is an alternative ending (-se), but the -ra form is far more common.
Use the past subjunctive for:
- Imagined conditions: Si pudiera, lo haría.
- Wishes about the present: Ojalá tuviera más tiempo.
- After past-tense triggers: Quería que viniera.
- After como si (as if): Habla como si fuera experto.
Examples
- Si pudiera, lo haría.If I could, I would do it.
- Si tuviera dinero, viajaría.If I had money, I would travel.
- Ojalá estuviera aquí.I wish she were here.
- Quería que vinieras temprano.I wanted you to come early.
- Me pidió que le ayudara.He asked me to help him.
- Hablaba como si supiera todo.He spoke as if he knew everything.
- Habla como si fuera experto.He talks as if he were an expert.
Watch out
- Si tendría dinero, viajaría. Si tuviera dinero, viajaría.The si clause never takes the conditional. Use the past subjunctive.
- Si tuviera dinero, viajara. Si tuviera dinero, viajaría.The result clause takes the conditional, not the subjunctive.
- Quería que viene. Quería que viniera.After a past-tense main verb, the second verb needs the past subjunctive.
- Ojalá tengo más tiempo. Ojalá tuviera más tiempo.For a wish about something unreal right now, use the past subjunctive.