El Pluscomperfecto del Subjuntivo
These notes describe the use and form of the Pluperfect Subjunctive in Spanish Grammar. Learn how to form the pluperfect subjunctive with the imperfect subjunctive form of the verb “haber” and the past participle forms. Also these notes will help you to learn the use of the subjunctive in conditional sentences. You can practice with the online interactive exercises and get immediate feedback.
We use the Pluperfect Subjunctive to express doubt, subjectivity, uncertainty, possibility about situations that happened before another one in the past.
The Pluperfect Subjunctive is used for the same reasons we use the Past Perfect Indicative: to indicate an action that happened before another one in the past. We use it to emphasize that one action occurred before another one that we are referring to. But we need to use it in situations where the subjunctive is necessary. The subjunctive is used because we want to express doubt, subjectivity, uncertainty or possibility, rather than a definite fact.
In order to form the pluperfect subjunctive in Spanish we need to conjugate the auxiliary verb HABER in the imperfect subjunctive form and then follow this verb with the past participle of the verb.
| Yo | hubiera |
| Tú | hubieras |
| Él, Ella, Usted | hubiera |
| Nosotros/as | hubiéramos |
| Vosotros/as | hubierais |
| Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes | hubieran |
Click here to review how to form the past participle of verbs (in the regular and irregular forms).
You can also review the use of the subjunctive here.
The Pluperfect is also used in the conditional structures referring to impossible situations.
| Si + pluscuamperfecto del subjuntivo | + condicional simple (the verb in the conditional form) |
| Si + pluscuamperfecto del subjuntivo | + condicional compuesto ('haber' in the conditional form + the past participle) |
Complete the following sentences with the Pluperfect Subjunctive of the verbs given in brackets.
Note: Try to use the correct written accents if you can e.g.: á, é, í, ó, ú, ñ, ü.
If you don't know the correct answer, type '?' to reveal it.
1. Si
que estabas enferma, yo te habría ido a visitar. (saber)
2. Si
a tiempo, no habríamos perdido el vuelo. (llegar)
3. Si no
esa decisión, no tendrías tantos problemas ahora. (tomar)
4. Si no me
el regalo, lo habría cambiado por otra cosa. (gustar)
5. Me
acompañarlos en el paseo. (encantar)
6. ¡Nunca
que Jorge era capaz de algo así! (pensar)
7. ¿No
mejor conducir por el otro camino? (ser)
Spanish grammar pluperfect subjunctive, el pluscuamperfecto del subjuntivo, how to form the pluperfect subjunctive in Spanish, Spanish subjunctive, the Subjunctive Mood, the Subjunctive in the past, the subjunctive with conditional structures.
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