Imperfect Subjunctive Theory

More on Imperfect Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

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

1) -ara

Take the third person plural form of the preterit (e.g., hablaron)
Drop the -on from the end, which gives you the stem (hablar-)

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

Examples:

hablara (example sentences)      habláramos (example sentences)
hablaras (example sentences)     hablarais (example sentences)
hablara (example sentences)      hablaran (example sentences)

bebiera (example sentences)       bebiéramos (example sentences)
bebieras (example sentences)      bebierais (example sentences)
bebiera (example sentences)       bebieran (example sentences)

viviera (example sentences)       viviéramos (example sentences)
vivieras (example sentences)      vivierais (example sentences)
viviera (example sentences)       vivieran (example sentences)

2) -se

Take the third person plural form of the preterit (e.g., hablaron)
Drop the -ron from the end, which gives you the stem (hablar-)

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

hablase (example sentences)      hablásemos (example sentences)
hablases (example sentences)     hablaseis (example sentences)  
hablase (example sentences)      hablasen (example sentences)

bebiese (example sentences)      bebiésemos (example sentences)
bebieses (example sentences)     bebieseis (example sentences)
bebiese (example sentences)      bebiesen (example sentences).

viviese (example sentences)      viviésemos (example sentences)
vivieses (example sentences)     vivieseis (example sentences)
viviese (example sentences)      viviesen (example sentences)