What is the Imperfect Subjunctive in Spanish?
The Imperfect tense of the subjunctive mood is used to express the same subjectivity as the Present subjunctive, but in the past.
Imperfect Subjunctive in Spanish 1
To indicate an action in the past in the same situations where the subjunctive would be required in the Present:
Era importante que Paola me trabajara en el centro. (Imperfect subjunctive) – It was important that Paola would work for me in the center
Es importante que Paola me trabaje en el centro. (Present subjunctive) – It is important that
Paola works for me at the center.
– After the expression “ojalá” or “ojalá que” :
Ojalá que lloviera mañana. (Imperfect subjunctive)
I hope that it would rain tomorrow.
Ojalá que llueva mañana. (Present subjunctive)
I hope that it rains tomorrow.
– In if clauses to indicate contrary-to-fact or unlikely events:
Aprenderías más rápido si estudiaras más (Imperfect subjunctive)
You would learn faster if you studied.
– When the verb in the main clause is in one of the past tenses or in the conditional, the Imperfect subjunctive is used in the dependent clause:
Preterite
Quise que él me visitara.
I wanted him to visit me.
Imperfect
Quería que mi amigo me visitara cada día.
I wanted my friend to visit me every day.
Past Perfect
He querido que mi amigo me visitara.
I had wanted that my friend to visit me .
Conditional
Querría que mi amigo me visitara.
I would like my friend to visit me.
– When the verb in the main clause is in the Present but it refers to a previous occurrence:
Me gusta que ella llegara con él.
I like that she came with him
Es bueno que te comieras toda la comida
It’s good that you eat all the food
Quisiera ir contigo – I would like to go with you
¿Pudiera ir con ustedes? – Could I go with you?
Ella debiera ayudarla – She should help her
Imperfect Subjunctive 2
It is important to know that in Spanish there are two complete sets of conjugations in the Imperfect Subjunctive tense. In some Latin American countries only the “-a” form is used in the spoken Spanish, while the “-se” form is mainly used in literary work.
Note: You can conjugate in the “-a conjugation” of the Imperfect Subjuntive by following the next steps:
1. take the third person plural of the Preterite form of any – ar, – er and – ir verbs
2. drop the – on ending to find the root
3. add the following endings to that root
– a, – as, – a, – amos, – ais, – an
3rd person plural of the preterite of bailar = bailaron
we remove the – on ending
the root is bailar –
Subject – bailar ( to dance)
Yo (I) – bailar – a (regular)
Tú (You)(Informal) – bailar -as
Usted (You)(Formal) – bailar -a
Él/Ella(He/She) – bailar -a
Nosotros(as)(We) – bailár -amos
Vosotros(as)(You)(Informal) – bailar -ais
Ustedes(You)(Formal) – bailar -an
Ellos(as)(They) – bailar -an
correr – to run (irregular)
3rd person plural of the preterite of correr = corrieron
we remove the – on ending
the root is correr –
Subject – correr (to run)
Yo (I) – corrier-a
Tú (You)(Informal) – corrier-as
Usted (You)(Formal) – corrier-a
Él /Ella(He/She) – corrier-a
Nosotros(as)(We) – corriér-amos
Vosotros(as)(You)(Informal) – corriér-ais
Ustedes(You)(Formal) – corrier-an
Ellos(as)(They) – corrier-an
vivir – to live (irregular)
3rd person plural of the preterite of vivir = vivieron
we remove the – on ending
the root is vivir-
Subject – vivir (to live)
Yo (I) – vivier-a
Tú (You)(Informal) – vivier-as
Usted (You)(Formal) – vivier-a
Él/Ella(He/She) – vivier-a
Nosotros(as)(We) – viviér-amos
Vosotros(as)(You)(Informal) – viviér-ais
Ustedes(You)(Formal) – vivier-an
Ellos(as) (They) – vivier-an
Note: You can conjugate in the “-se conjugation” of the Imperfect Subjuntive by following the next steps:
1. take the third person plural of the preterite form of any – ar, – er and – ir verbs
2. drop the – ron ending to find the root
3. add the following endings to that root
“-se” conjugation
– se, – ses, – se, – semos, – seis, – sen
This rule works perfectly for all three families of verbs (– ar, – er and – ir),
e.g.
bailar – to dance (regular)
3rd person plural of the preterite of bailar = bailaron
we remove the – ron ending
the root is baila-
Subject – bailar ( to dance)
Yo (I) – baila-se
Tú (You)(Informal) – baila -ses
Usted (You)(Formal) – baila -se
Él/Ella(He/She) – baila -se
Nosotros(as)(We) – bailá -semos
Vosotros(as)(You)(Informal) – baila -seis
Ustedes(You)(Formal) – baila -sen
Ellos(as)(They) – baila -sen
correr – to run (irregular)
3rd person plural of the preterite of correr = corrieron
we remove the – ron ending
the root is corrie-
Subject – correr (to run)
Yo (I) – corrie-se
Tú (You)(Informal) – corrie-ses
Usted (You)(Formal) – corrie-se
Él/Ella(He/She) – corrie-se
Nosotros(as)(We) – corrié-semos
Vosotros(as)(You)(Informal) – corrie-seis
Ustedes(You)(Formal) – corrie-sen
Ellos(as)(They) – corrie-sen
vivir – to live (irregular)
3rd person plural of the preterite of vivir = vivieron
we remove the – on ending
the root is vivier-
Subject – vivir (to live)
Yo (I) – vivie-se
Tú (You)(Informal) – vivie-ses
Usted (You)(Formal) – vivie-se
Él /Ella(He/She) – vivie-se
Nosotros(as)(We) – vivié-semos
Vosotros(as)(You)(Informal) – vivie-seis
Ustedes(You)(Formal) – vivie-sen
Imperfect Subjunctive 3
We know that in Spanish there are three kinds of verbs according to their ending:
1. – ar verbs
2. – er verbs
3. – ir verbs
Note: “- ar” and “- er” verbs do not change the stem in the Preterit. Therefore, there is no change in the stem of the Imperfect subjunctive:
repasar (to review) …repasaron (Preterite)
barrer (to sweep) …barrieron (Preterite)
Note: “- ir” verbs, however, change the stem in the preterite in both the third person singular and plural. Therefore, the spelling of the imperfect subjunctive is affected.
There are three different stem-changing groups within the “- ir” verbs:
1. “e>ie” stem-changing
“- ir” verbs: the “e” of the stem changes into “i” in the third person plural of the preterit.
sentir (to feel) …sintieron (Preterite)
ellos(as)…sintieran (Imperfect subjunctive)
If there are two “e”s in the stem, it is the second one “e” that changes:
preferir (to prefer) …prefirieron (Preterite)
ellos(as)…prefirieran (Imperfect subjunctive)
2. “e>i” stem-changing
“-ir” verbs: the “e” of the stem changes into an “i”.
pedir (to ask for) …pidieron (Preterite)
ellos(as)…pidieran (Imperfect subjunctive)
– If there are two “e”s in the stem, it is the second “e” that changes:
repetir (to repeat) …repitieron (Preterite)
3. “o>u” stem-changing “-ir” verbs:
the “o” of the stem changes to “u”.
dormir (to sleep)… durmieron (Preterite)
ellos(as)…durmieran (Imperfect subjunctive)
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