The imperfect subjunctive in Spanish might seem daunting at first, but for regular verbs, it follows a beautifully consistent pattern. In Castilian Spanish, you’ll find this tense particularly useful for expressing hypothetical situations, desires, and emotions.
Formation Pattern
To form regular verbs in the imperfect subjunctive:
- Start with the third-person plural (ellos/ellas) of the preterite
- Remove the -ron ending
- Add the appropriate endings
For example, with “hablar” (to speak):
- Preterite they form: hablaron
- Remove -ron: habla-
- Add new endings: hablara, hablaras, hablara, habláramos, hablarais, hablaran
The Two Forms
In Spanish, you have two equally correct options for regular verbs in the imperfect subjunctive:
| Person | -ra endings | -se endings |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hablara | hablase |
| tú | hablaras | hablases |
| él/ella/usted | hablara | hablase |
| nosotros | habláramos | hablásemos |
| vosotros | hablarais | hablaseis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hablaran | hablasen |
Common Regular Verbs
Here are some frequently used regular verbs in their imperfect subjunctive form (showing first person singular):
-ar verbs:
- trabajar → trabajara/trabajase (to work)
- estudiar → estudiara/estudiase (to study)
- bailar → bailara/bailase (to dance)
-er verbs:
- comer → comiera/comiese (to eat)
- beber → bebiera/bebiese (to drink)
- aprender → aprendiera/aprendiese (to learn)
-ir verbs:
- vivir → viviera/viviese (to live)
- escribir → escribiera/escribiese (to write)
- subir → subiera/subiese (to go up)
Usage Examples
- “I wished you would call me”
- Deseaba que me llamaras/llamases
- “They wanted us to work more”
- Querían que trabajáramos/trabajásemos más
- “It was important that you (all) studied”
- Era importante que estudiarais/estudiaseis
Regional Preferences
While both forms are correct in Castilian Spanish, the -ra form is generally more common in everyday speech. In formal writing, you might encounter both forms used interchangeably.
When to Use
You’ll use the imperfect subjunctive in several situations:
- After “if” in contrary-to-fact statements:
- “If I had more time…” (Si tuviera/tuviese más tiempo…)
- Following expressions of emotion in the past:
- “She was happy that you came” (Estaba feliz de que vinieras/vinieses)
- With past wishes or recommendations:
- “They suggested that we eat early” (Sugirieron que comiéramos/comiésemos temprano)
Remember, the beauty of regular verbs in the Spanish imperfect subjunctive lies in their consistency. Once you’ve mastered the pattern, you can apply it to any regular verb with confidence.