Ready to express those “what if” scenarios or past regrets in Spanish? The Past Perfect Subjunctive (Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo) is your superpower! This guide will help you master this tense with regular -AR verbs, which are super common and easy to learn.
What Is the Past Perfect Subjunctive?
Imagine you’re thinking back to a missed opportunity and saying, “If I had studied more, I would have gotten a better grade.” The part about studying more is in the past perfect subjunctive. It’s used to:
- Talk about hypothetical situations in the past: Things that could have happened but didn’t.
- Discuss actions that came before other past actions in the subjunctive mood: It’s like a flashback within a flashback!
How to Build the Past Perfect Subjunctive: Two Simple Steps
- The imperfect subjunctive of the helper verb ‘haber’: This sets the stage for your hypothetical situation.
- The past participle of your -AR verb: This is the action you’re talking about.
The formula looks like this:
Imperfect Subjunctive of ‘haber’ + Past Participle
Conjugating “Haber” in the Imperfect Subjunctive
There are two sets of endings you can use, and they mean the same thing:
| Pronoun | -ra Ending | -se Ending |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hubiera | hubiese |
| Tú | hubieras | hubieses |
| Él/Ella/Usted | hubiera | hubiese |
| Nosotros/as | hubiéramos | hubiésemos |
| Vosotros/as | hubierais | hubieseis |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | hubieran | hubiesen |
Forming Past Participles for Regular -AR Verbs
This is the easy part! Just drop the -AR and add -ADO.
- trabajar (to work) → trabajado
- hablar (to speak) → hablado
- estudiar (to study) → estudiado
- comprar (to buy) → comprado
- cantar (to sing) → cantado
Putting It Together: “trabajar” (to work) in the Past Perfect Subjunctive
| Pronoun | -ra Ending | -se Ending |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hubiera trabajado | hubiese trabajado |
| Tú | hubieras trabajado | hubieses trabajado |
| Él/Ella/Usted | hubiera trabajado | hubiese trabajado |
| Nosotros/as | hubiéramos trabajado | hubiésemos trabajado |
| Vosotros/as | hubierais trabajado | hubieseis trabajado |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | hubieran trabajado | hubiesen trabajado |
Real-World Examples: Using the Past Perfect Subjunctive
- “Si hubiera trabajado más duro, habría conseguido el ascenso.” (If I had worked harder, I would have gotten the promotion.)
- “Ojalá hubieses hablado con él antes de tomar la decisión.” (I wish you had spoken to him before making the decision.)
- “No creo que hubieran comprado la casa si hubieran sabido los problemas que tenía.” (I don’t think they would have bought the house if they had known about the problems it had.)
- “Aunque hubiéramos estudiado toda la noche, el examen habría sido difícil.” (Even if we had studied all night, the exam would have been difficult.)
- “¿Crees que habrían cantado mejor si hubiesen practicado más?” (Do you think they would have sung better if they had practiced more?)
Tips for Success
- Don’t sweat the -ra vs. -se endings: Both are correct! Choose the one you hear most often or that feels more natural.
Synonyms:
- English: Regular -AR Verbs in Pluperfect Subjunctive, Past Perfect Subjunctive Mood, Anterior Past Subjunctive, Had + Past Participle Subjunctive
- Spanish: Verbos Regulares en -AR en Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo, Subjuntivo Pasado Perfecto, Subjuntivo Antepretérito, Pretérito Anterior de Subjuntivo