The imperfecto de subjuntivo (-se) is one of two equivalent forms of the imperfect subjunctive (along with the -ra form). The -se form is considered more formal and literary, being more common in written Spanish, particularly in Spain. Both forms are fully interchangeable in meaning. It is used for:
- Hypothetical situations in the past
- Polite requests
- Wishes about past situations
- After "si" (if) clauses
- Reported speech in the past
- Contrary-to-fact statements
Form it from the ellos preterite: remove -ron, then add the endings. Hablaron → hablase; tuvieron → tuviese.
Regular Conjugations
| Pronoun | -AR | -ER/-IR |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -ase | -iese |
| tú | -ases | -ieses |
| él/ella/ud. | -ase | -iese |
| nosotros | -ásemos | -iésemos |
| vosotros | -aseis | -ieseis |
| ellos/uds. | -asen | -iesen |
The -ar endings all start from -ase, and nosotros takes an accent.
Regular -AR verb: hablar in Imperfecto de Subjuntivo (-se)
-er and -ir verbs start from -iese.
Regular -ER/-IR verb: comer in Imperfecto de Subjuntivo (-se)
Common Irregular Verbs
Each of these builds on its preterite stem: fue- from fui, estuvie- from estuve.
| Pronoun | ser/ir | estar | haber | hacer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | fuese | estuviese | hubiese | hiciese |
| tú | fueses | estuvieses | hubieses | hicieses |
| él/ella/ud. | fuese | estuviese | hubiese | hiciese |
| nosotros | fuésemos | estuviésemos | hubiésemos | hiciésemos |
| vosotros | fueseis | estuvieseis | hubieseis | hicieseis |
| ellos/uds. | fuesen | estuviesen | hubiesen | hiciesen |
Regional Usage
The -se form is more prevalent in:
- Formal writing
- Literary texts
- European Spanish
- Academic contexts
- Traditional or formal speech