When to Use Imperfect Subjunctive Tense in Spanish? | Rules

Use it when a subjunctive idea sits under a past frame, shows a “what if,” or softens a request with polite distance.

You’ll feel the imperfect subjunctive most when you’re telling stories, quoting what someone wanted, or talking about unreal situations. It pops up right where English often flips into “would,” “could,” or “were.” If you’ve ever said something like “I wanted you to come” or “If I were you…”, you’re already thinking in the same direction.

This tense isn’t rare or fancy. It’s daily Spanish. The trick is spotting the trigger and the time frame. Get those two right and your sentence clicks into place.

What the imperfect subjunctive signals

The imperfect subjunctive carries a dependent idea that isn’t presented as a settled fact. In many sentences, it’s pulled in by a main verb in a past tense. Spanish grammar treats it as a “relative” tense: it lines up with the time of the main clause, not with the speaker’s clock alone. The Real Academia Española describes this tense and its role in relation to other tenses in its grammatical glossary entry on “pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo”.

In plain terms, you use it when you’re inside a past narrative and the sentence needs subjunctive mood. It can also show unreal or hypothetical meaning, even when the scenario points to the present or future.

Two fast checks that save you

• Check 1: Is the clause introduced by que (or a similar connector) and dependent on another verb? That’s a common setup.
• Check 2: Is the main clause in a past tense and does it trigger subjunctive meaning (wish, doubt, reaction, request, non-specific reference)? If yes, the imperfect subjunctive is often the match.

How to form it without memorizing endless lists

Formation is mechanical once you know one reliable starting point: the third-person plural preterite (ellos/ellas) form.

Stem rule

1. Take the ellos preterite: hablaron, comieron, vivieron.
2. Drop -ron: habla-, comie-, vivie-.
3. Add endings for -ra or -se.

Endings you’ll use the most

For most learners, the -ra set becomes the default in everyday writing and speech. The RAE’s guidance on the values of subjunctive tenses also frames how Spanish uses fewer tense contrasts in subjunctive than in indicative, which helps explain why this one tense covers so many real situations: Usos y valores de los tiempos de subjuntivo.

Here are the patterns with -ra endings:

• yo: -ra (hablara)
• tú: -ras (hablaras)
• él/ella/usted: -ra (hablara)
• nosotros: -ramos (habláramos)
• vosotros: -rais (hablarais)
• ellos/ellas/ustedes: -ran (hablaran)

And with -se endings:

• yo: -se (hablase)
• tú: -ses (hablases)
• él/ella/usted: -se (hablase)
• nosotros: -semos (hablásemos)
• vosotros: -seis (hablaseis)
• ellos/ellas/ustedes: -sen (hablasen)

One more note: any irregularity in the ellos preterite carries over. That’s why tener → tuvieron → tuvier- and venir → vinieron → vinier-. Build from the preterite and you inherit the right stem.

When to Use Imperfect Subjunctive Tense in Spanish? With the most common triggers

This is the part that makes the tense feel predictable. The imperfect subjunctive shows up when a past-tense main clause triggers subjunctive mood in the dependent clause. Many teaching grammars state this as a simple sequence-of-tenses idea: past trigger up top, imperfect subjunctive below. The University of Kansas explains this “past main clause + subjunctive trigger” pattern clearly on its grammar page for Imperfect Subjunctive (el imperfecto del subjuntivo).

Here are the triggers you’ll meet constantly, with sentences that sound like real Spanish. Read them out loud. You’ll hear the rhythm.

Wants and requests in the past

When someone wanted, asked, suggested, or demanded something in the past, the dependent verb often lands in the imperfect subjunctive.

• Quería que vinieras temprano. (I wanted you to come early.)
• Le pedí que me ayudara. (I asked him to help me.)
• Nos recomendaron que no saliéramos tan tarde. (They recommended that we not go out so late.)

Reactions and feelings tied to a past scene

Past reactions can pull in subjunctive too, since the second clause is treated as a judged or reacted-to idea.

• Me alegró que estuvieras allí. (I was glad you were there.)
• Nos molestó que dijeras eso. (It bothered us that you said that.)

Doubt and denial in a past frame

When the speaker in the past expressed doubt, denial, or uncertainty, the dependent clause often uses imperfect subjunctive.

• No creía que fuera cierto. (I didn’t believe it was true.)
• Dudaban que él supiera la verdad. (They doubted he knew the truth.)

At this point, you can see the pattern: past lens up top, dependent idea below.

Trigger map you can use while writing

When you’re drafting an email, a story, or a message, it helps to sort triggers by function instead of trying to recall them from memory. This table is built to be used mid-sentence: find the trigger type, grab a starter, then mirror the pattern.

Trigger type	Common starters (past)	Model sentence
Wants / intentions	quería que, esperaba que	Esperaba que me llamaras.
Requests / pressure	pidió que, exigieron que	Me pidió que lo acompañara.
Advice / suggestions	recomendó que, sugirió que	Sugirió que lo hiciéramos hoy.
Emotion / reaction	me alegró que, me molestó que	Me alegró que vinieras.
Doubt / denial	no creía que, dudaba que	No creía que fuera tarde.
Non-specific target	buscaba a alguien que, querían un lugar que	Buscaba un libro que tuviera fotos.
Purpose with subject change	para que after a past action	Lo llamé para que viniera.
Time clause from past point	cuando, hasta que tied to a past plan	Te esperé hasta que llegaras.

Indirect speech and reported requests

Spanish loves to report speech with a tight sequence of tenses. If the reporting verb is past, the dependent verb often shifts into imperfect subjunctive when the content requires subjunctive mood.

Commands reported through “que”

Direct commands don’t use subjunctive in the same way (¡Ven!). Once you report them, Spanish often routes through a structure like decir/pedir/ordenar + que.

• Me dijo: “Ven temprano.” → Me dijo que viniera temprano.
• Nos pidió: “No hagan ruido.” → Nos pidió que no hiciéramos ruido.

This is one of the fastest places to gain fluency. It turns choppy dialogue into smooth narration.

“Si” clauses: unreal, hypothetical, and advice

If you only memorize one headline use, memorize this: unreal “si” + imperfect subjunctive. It’s the classic “If I were…” pattern.

Unreal present or future

These sentences talk about a situation that isn’t real right now. Spanish pairs the “if” clause with imperfect subjunctive and the result clause with conditional.

• Si tuviera tiempo, iría contigo.
• Si fuera tú, no lo haría.

Soft advice that doesn’t sound pushy

Si yo fuera tú… is a natural way to offer advice while keeping some distance. It can feel gentler than a direct imperative.

Even when the scenario points to “now” or “later,” the imperfect subjunctive still appears because the meaning is unreal or hypothetical, not because the speaker is talking about the past.

“Como si”: the “as if” switch

When you say someone acts “as if” something were true, Spanish commonly uses como si + imperfect subjunctive for an unreal comparison.

• Habla como si supiera todo.
• Me miró como si yo no existiera.

This structure shows up in everyday speech, novels, and news commentary. It’s also a tidy way to add attitude to a sentence without over-writing.

Choosing -ra vs -se without freezing up

Both forms are generally valid: quisiera and quisiese, fuera and fuese. The RAE notes the alternation of these two forms and mentions distribution differences by region in its entry on the imperfect subjunctive. If you want one default for daily use, pick -ra and stay consistent within a paragraph.

When -se tends to appear

• Formal writing where the author wants a traditional tone
• Literary style
• Fixed expressions in some regions

Mixing -ra and -se in the same sentence can sound odd unless you know exactly why you’re doing it. For most learners, consistency beats variety.

Conjugation reference that prevents common slips

This table is meant for quick proofreading. It also helps you catch the two spots that cause the most mistakes: the nosotros accent and irregular preterite stems.

Person	-ra form (hablar)	-se form (comer)
yo	hablara	comiese
tú	hablaras	comieses
él/ella/usted	hablara	comiese
nosotros	habláramos	comiésemos
vosotros	hablarais	comieseis
ellos/ellas/ustedes	hablaran	comiesen

Where learners go wrong and how to fix it fast

You don’t need more rules. You need a clean way to self-edit. Here are the errors that pop up most, with quick fixes you can apply in seconds.

Error 1: Using present subjunctive inside a past frame

If the main clause is past and triggers subjunctive, your dependent verb often shifts to imperfect subjunctive.

• Mismatch: Quería que vengas.
• Fix: Quería que vinieras.

Error 2: Confusing real “si” with unreal “si”

Real past habit can use indicative: Si tenía tiempo, iba. Unreal present/future uses imperfect subjunctive: Si tuviera tiempo, iría. When you’re stuck, ask yourself: “Is this real or a hypothetical?” That question picks the mood.

Error 3: Forgetting that irregular preterites create irregular stems

Build from ellos preterite and the stem will take care of itself:

• tener → tuvieron → tuviera
• hacer → hicieron → hiciera
• decir → dijeron → dijera
• poder → pudieron → pudiera

Error 4: Dropping the accent in nosotros

Habláramos and comiésemos carry an accent. It’s a small mark with a big payoff: it keeps forms readable and avoids confusion with other patterns.

A practical writing checklist for the imperfect subjunctive

If you want a single method you can reuse, run this checklist when you’re writing anything longer than a text message.

1. Underline your main clause verb and mark its tense (past, present, future).
2. Circle the trigger type (wish, request, reaction, doubt, non-specific target, purpose, time clause, unreal “si,” “como si”).
3. If it’s a past main clause plus a subjunctive trigger, switch the dependent verb to imperfect subjunctive.
4. If it’s unreal “si” or “como si,” use imperfect subjunctive even when the time feels like “now.”
5. Form the verb from the ellos preterite, drop -ron, add endings, then check the nosotros accent.

Mini practice set you can do in two minutes

Try these as quick drills. Say them once in English, then produce the Spanish line without staring at the answer. Your goal is speed, not perfection.

Switch the dependent verb into imperfect subjunctive

• I hoped you were coming. → Esperaba que ________ (venir). → Esperaba que vinieras.
• They doubted he knew. → Dudaban que él ________ (saber). → Dudaban que él supiera.
• She asked me to do it. → Me pidió que lo ________ (hacer). → Me pidió que lo hiciera.

Build one unreal “si” sentence

• If I had more time, I would study more. → Si ________ más tiempo, ________ más. → Si tuviera más tiempo, estudiaría más.

Do a few of these daily and the tense stops feeling like “grammar.” It turns into a reflex.