The Spanish Future Perfect Subjunctive is a complex but intriguing tense that combines aspects of the future, perfect, and subjunctive moods. While rarely used in modern Spanish, understanding its formation can deepen your grasp of Spanish grammar and help you appreciate classical literature.
Formation
To form the Future Perfect Subjunctive, you need two components:
- The future subjunctive of the auxiliary verb ‘haber’
- The past participle of the main verb
The formula is: future subjunctive of ‘haber’ + past participle
Conjugation of ‘haber’ in Future Subjunctive
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | hubiere |
| tú | hubieres |
| él/ella/usted | hubiere |
| nosotros/nosotras | hubiéremos |
| vosotros/vosotras | hubiereis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hubieren |
Past Participle Formation
- For -ar verbs: stem + -ado (e.g., hablar → hablado)
- For -er and -ir verbs: stem + -ido (e.g., comer → comido, vivir → vivido)
Example: ‘hablar’ (to speak)
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | hubiere hablado |
| tú | hubieres hablado |
| él/ella/usted | hubiere hablado |
| nosotros/nosotras | hubiéremos hablado |
| vosotros/vosotras | hubiereis hablado |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hubieren hablado |
Usage Examples
While this tense is rarely used in modern Spanish, you might encounter it in legal documents, formal writing, or classical literature. Here are some examples:
- “Cuando hubiere terminado el plazo, se procederá a la revisión.” (When the deadline will have ended, we will proceed with the review.)
- “Si para entonces no hubieren llegado los documentos, cancelaremos el trámite.” (If by then the documents will not have arrived, we will cancel the process.)
- “En caso de que hubiere ocurrido algún cambio, favor de notificarnos.” (In case any change will have occurred, please notify us.)
- “Cualquiera que hubiere presenciado el incidente deberá presentarse.” (Anyone who will have witnessed the incident must come forward.)
Remember, while this tense is grammatically correct, it’s often replaced by the present perfect subjunctive or other tenses in everyday Spanish. Understanding it, however, can enhance your comprehension of formal Spanish and literary works.
Synonyms:
- English: Regular Verbs in Compound Future Subjunctive
- Spanish: Verbos Regulares en Futuro Perfecto de Subjuntivo, Futuro Compuesto de Subjuntivo