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Spanish Grammar in Context

A reference grammar with video examples from the Spanish in Texas collection

  • Credits
  • Index
  • About
  • Home
  • Adjectives
    • Introduction to Adjectives
    • Adjectives – Formation and Placement
    • Comparisons and Superlatives with Adjectives
    • Past Participles as Adjectives
    • Todo
    • Indefinite Adjectives
    • Adjectives Practice
  • Adverbs
    • Introduction to Adverbs
    • Adverbs – Formation and Placement
    • Comparative Adverbs
    • Adverbs Practice
  • Conjunctions
    • Introduction to Conjunctions
    • Coordinating Conjunctions
    • Subordinating Conjunctions
    • Conjunctions Practice
  • Determiners
    • Introduction to Determiners
    • Definite Articles
    • Indefinite Articles
    • Possessive Determiners
    • Demonstrative Determiners
    • Expressions of Quantity
    • Determiners Practice
  • Negation
    • Introduction to Negation
    • Basic Negation: No
    • Alternate Forms of Negation
    • One-word Negative Sentences
    • Negation Practice
  • Nouns
    • Introduction to Nouns
    • Nouns – Number
    • Nouns – Gender
    • Nouns Practice
  • Prepositions
    • Introduction to Prepositions
    • Common Prepositions
    • Por vs. Para
    • Prepositions Practice
  • Pronouns
    • Introduction to Pronouns
    • Subject Pronouns
    • Direct Object Pronouns
    • Indirect Object Pronouns
    • Reflexive Pronouns
    • Order of Object Pronouns
    • Relative Pronouns
    • Indefinite Pronouns
    • Demonstrative Pronouns
    • Possessive Pronouns
    • Pronouns Practice
  • Verbs
    • Introduction to Verbs
    • Tense/Mood
    • Introduction to Present Tense
      • -ar Verbs (Regular) Present Tense
      • -er Verbs (Regular) Present Tense
      • -ir Verbs (Regular) Present Tense
    • Ser “To Be”
    • Haber “To Have”
    • Reflexive Verbs
    • Preterit
    • Present Perfect
    • Imperfect
    • Narration: Preterit vs. Imperfect
    • Pluperfect
    • Future
    • Conditional
    • Past Conditional
    • Imperative Mood (commands)
    • Introduction to Subjunctive
      • Subjunctive – Present
      • Subjunctive – Past or Imperfect
      • Subjunctive – Present Perfect
      • Subjunctive – Pluperfect
      • Tense Sequences
    • Si Clauses (If Clauses)
    • Indirect Speech
      • Indirect Speech – Present
      • Indirect Speech – Past
    • Passive Voice
    • Language Contact
    • Verbs Practice
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    Practice quizzes: verbs

    Subjunctive – Pluperfect

    hablar  to speak
    yo hubiera hablado nosotros/as hubiéramos hablado
    tú hubieras hablado  
    él/ella/usted hubiera hablado
    ellos/as/ustedes hubieran hablado

    Formation

    The pluperfect subjunctive (pluscuamperfecto subjuntivo) is formed with:

    the past (or imperfect) subjunctive of the auxiliary verb haber + the past participle of the main verb.

    Ella hubiera sido mejor presidenta yo creo que la otra muchacha.
    She would have been a better president than the other girl, I think.

    Uses

    The pluperfect subjunctive is normally used in dependent clauses that describe an action which precedes the action of a main clause in the past tense. The pluperfect subjunctive is introduced by the same kinds of clauses that introduce the past subjunctive. The past subjunctive, on the other hand, indicates a simultaneous action or a future action in relation to a main clause in the past tense.

    Me molestó que no me hubieras comprado un regalo de cumpleaños.It bothered me that you did not buy me a birthday present.

    The pluperfect subjunctive is also used in some hypothetical clauses with si (if) along with the  past conditional.

    Si hubiera estudiado más, habría sacado notas mejores.If I had studied more, I would have got better grades.

    Sometimes, when the result clause refers to something still valid in the present or to a general statement, the past conditional can be replaced by the (simple) conditional.

    Si hubiera estudiado más, ahora tendría un trabajo mejor.If I had studied more, I would have a better job now.

    However, in spoken Spanish, the past conditional or the simple conditional are often replaced by the pluperfect subjunctive for this kind of hypothetical clauses. The resulting structure would be in such cases a sentence containing two pluperfect subjunctive verbs.

    Si yo te hubiera dicho que no hablo inglés, me hubieras despedido.
    If I had told you that I do not speak English, you would have fired me.

    For more details about hypothetical clauses see also the page about si clauses.

    For more uses of this tense see also the page about tense sequences.

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