The past subjunctive is used in subordinate clauses when the main clause refers to a past situation, especially under the following conditions:
- The main clause expresses doubt, desire, emotion, or a hypothetical situation.
- The subordinate clause verb is in the past subjunctive form.
How to Form the Past Subjunctive
Stem is taken from the third-person plural (ellos/ellas) form of the preterite tense, then endings are added.
Stem Examples:
- hablar → hablaron → habl-
- comer → comieron → comier-
- vivir → vivieron → vivier-
- pedir → pidieron → pidier-
Endings
| Pronoun | Ending 1 (usual) | Ending 2 (less common) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -ra | -se |
| tú | -ras | -ses |
| él/ella | -ra | -se |
| nosotros | -ramos | -semos |
| vosotros | -rais | -seis |
| ellos | -ran | -sen |
\ In nosotros form, an accent appears on the vowel before the ending: habláramos, hablásemos*.
Conjugation Tables
| Pronoun | hablar (to speak) | comer (to eat) | vivir (to live) | pedir (to ask for) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablara / hablase | comiera / comiese | viviera / viviese | pidiera / pidiese |
| tú | hablaras / hablases | comieras / comieses | vivieras / vivieses | pidieras / pidieses |
| él/ella | hablara / hablase | comiera / comiese | viviera / viviese | pidiera / pidiese |
| nosotros | habláramos / hablásemos | comiéramos / comiésemos | viviéramos / viviésemos | pidiéramos / pidiésemos |
| vosotros | hablarais / hablaseis | comierais / comieseis | vivierais / vivieseis | pidierais / pidieseis |
| ellos | hablaran / hablasen | comieran / comiesen | vivieran / viviesen | pidieran / pidiesen |
When to Use the Past Subjunctive
. After a Past-Tense Trigger in the Main Clause
Use the past subjunctive when the main clause is in a past form (preterite, imperfect, past perfect) and introduces doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty.
| Example | Translation |
|---|---|
| Quería que vinieras. | I wanted you to come. |
| Dudaba que él estudiara. | I doubted that he was studying. |
| Me sorprendió que lloviera. | It surprised me that it rained. |
. After 'Si' in Hypothetical or Contrary-to-Fact Situations
The past subjunctive expresses situations that are unlikely, hypothetical, or counter to reality.
| Example | Translation |
|---|---|
| Si tuviera tiempo, viajaría más. | If I had time, I would travel more. |
| Si fueras tú, aceptaría. | If I were you, I would accept. |
| Si hubiéramos salido, no habríamos llegado tarde. | If we had left, we wouldn’t have been late. |
. Polite or Tentative Requests
Using -ra forms in the past subjunctive makes requests or suggestions sound more polite or tentative.
| Example | Translation |
|---|---|
| Quisiera un café. | I would like a coffee. |
| Si pudieras ayudarme, sería genial. | If you could help me, that would be great. |
Common Trigger Phrases for the Past Subjunctive
Here are some common words and phrases that introduce subjunctive clauses about the past.
| Category | Phrases |
|---|---|
| Doubt/Uncertainty | dudaba que, no creía que, no estaba seguro de que |
| Desire/Wish | quería que, esperaba que, deseaba que |
| Emotion | me sorprendió que, me alegré de que, sentía que |
| Impersonal | era posible que, parecía que, era necesario que |
| Others | si (hypotheticals), ojalá que, como si |
Summary
The past subjunctive is a verb form that expresses doubt, desire, emotion, or hypothesis about past actions. Its defining feature is the -ra / -se endings attached to the third-person plural preterite stem. The choice between -ra and -se is usually stylistic, but -ra is more common in modern usage.
The past subjunctive always appears in subordinate clauses and never on its own.
Remember: When the main verb is past and the meaning calls for subjunctive, the subordinate clause uses the past subjunctive.
Feel free to ask if you’d like more examples or if something isn’t clear!
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
