Spanish Imperfect Subjunctive: the -ra and -se forms
Short answer
Take the ellos form of the preterite, drop -ron and add -ra or -se: hablaron → hablara or hablase. Both endings mean the same thing. You need it after past-tense triggers and in si clauses about the unreal: si tuviera tiempo…
Level B2 · verbs, subjunctive
The rule in full
How to build it: take the ellos form of the indefinido, drop -ron, add the endings. This works for every verb, irregulars included.
hablaron → habla- · comieron → comie- · tuvieron → tuvie-
| -ra form | -se form | |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hablara | hablase |
| tú | hablaras | hablases |
| él/ella | hablara | hablase |
| nosotros | habláramos | hablásemos |
| vosotros | hablarais | hablaseis |
| ellos | hablaran | hablasen |
Both forms are interchangeable; -ra is far more common in speech.
Uses
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Past trigger | Quería que vinieras. |
| Unreal condition | Si tuviera dinero, viajaría. |
| Politeness | Quisiera un café. |
| As if | Habla como si fuera experto. |
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