Spanish Imperfect Subjunctive

There are 2 forms of the imperfect subjunctive, which are used indistinctly.

1) The first is formed by taking the 3rd person plural of the preterite minus -on.

For the verb hablar, the third person plural of the preterite is hablaron, removing the "on" yields hablar. To this stem you add the following endings:

-a        -amos
-as       -ais
-a        -an

hablar (example sentences)(full conjugation)

			

				
 
				
 
				
 
			
			

				
yo
				
hablara
				
(I spoke)
			
			

				
tú
				
hablaras
				
(you spoke)
			
			

				
Ud./él/ ella
				
hablara
				
(you/he/she spoke)
			
			

				
nosotros (as)
				
habláramos
				
(we spoke)
			
			

				
vosotros (as)
				
hablarais
				
(you guys spoke)
			
			

				
Uds./ellos/ ellas
				
hablaran
				
(you all/they spoke)
			
		

For the verb "comer", the third person plural of the preterite is "comieron", removing the "on" yields "comier". To this stem you add the following endings: -a, -as, -a, -amos, -ais, -an.

comer (example sentences) (full conjugation)

			

				
 
				
 
				
 
			
			

				
yo
				
comiera
				
(I ate)
			
			

				
tú
				
comieras
				
(you ate)
			
			

				
Ud./él/ ella
				
comiera
				
(you/he/she ate)
			
			

				
nosotros (as)
				
comiéramos
				
(we ate)
			
			

				
vosotros (as)
				
comierais
				
(you guys ate)
			
			

				
Uds./ellos/ ellas
				
comieran
				
(you all/they ate)
			
		

For the verb "vivir", the third person plural of the preterite is "vivieron", removing the "on" yields "vivier". To this stem you add the following endings: -a, -as, -a, -amos, -ais, -an.

vivir (example sentences) (full conjugation)

			

				
 
				
 
				
 
			
			

				
yo
				
viviera
				
(I lived)
			
			

				
tú
				
vivieras
				
(you lived)
			
			

				
Ud./él/ ella
				
viviera
				
(you/he/she lived)
			
			

				
nosotros (as)
				
viviéramos
				
(we lived)
			
			

				
vosotros (as)
				
vivierais
				
(you guys lived)
			
			

				
Uds./ellos/ ellas
				
vivieran
				
(you all/they lived)
			
		

2) The second is formed by taking the third person plural form of the preterit (e.g., hablaron), minus -ron from the end.

For the verb hablar, the third person plural of the preterite is hablaron, removing the "ron" yields habla. To this stem you add the following endings:

-se 	  -semos
-ses 	  -seis
-se	  -sen

hablase      hablásemos
hablases     hablaseis 
hablase      hablasen

bebiese      bebiésemos
bebieses     bebieseis
bebiese      bebiesen

viviese      viviésemos
vivieses     vivieseis
viviese      viviesen