VerbsadvancedCEFR C1

Pluperfect Subjunctive: Hypothetical Past Perfect Actions

What You'll Learn

Form the pluperfect subjunctive with haber (imperfect subjunctive) + past participle
Express hypothetical actions that would have been completed in the past
Use pluperfect subjunctive in third conditional sentences (si clauses)
Express past wishes and regrets with ojalá + pluperfect subjunctive
Distinguish between pluperfect subjunctive and other subjunctive tenses
Apply both forms: hubiera and hubiese interchangeably

Overview / Usage

The pluperfect subjunctive (pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo) expresses hypothetical actions that would have been completed in the past. It's formed with the imperfect subjunctive of haber (hubiera/hubiese) + past participle.

This is the most advanced subjunctive tense, combining the pluperfect aspect (past perfect) with the subjunctive mood (hypothetical). Use it primarily for:

Third conditional sentences: "If I had known, I would have come" (Si hubiera sabido, habría venido)
Past wishes and regrets: "I wish I had studied more" (Ojalá hubiera estudiado más)
After past subjunctive triggers: "I doubted he had arrived" (Dudaba que hubiera llegado)
Expressing what might have happened: "As if it had been true" (Como si hubiera sido verdad)

💡 Two Forms: Hubiera vs Hubiese

The pluperfect subjunctive has two grammatically interchangeable forms: hubiera and hubiese. Both mean exactly the same thing ("Si hubiera sabido" = "Si hubiese sabido" - If I had known). However, hubiera is more common in everyday speech, especially in Latin America, while hubiese tends to be more formal and literary. You'll see hubiese more often in formal writing, academic texts, and literature.

Structure & Formation

How the Pluperfect Subjunctive Works

Conjugating Haber in the Imperfect Subjunctive

Hubiera form (more common in Latin America):

yo → hubiera

hubiera hablado

I had spoken (hypothetical)

tú → hubieras

hubieras comido

you had eaten (hypothetical)

él/ella/usted → hubiera

hubiera vivido

he/she had lived (hypothetical)

nosotros/as → hubiéramos

hubiéramos terminado

we had finished (hypothetical)

vosotros/as → hubierais

hubierais salido

you all had left (hypothetical)

ellos/ellas/ustedes → hubieran

hubieran llegado

they had arrived (hypothetical)

Hubiese form (interchangeable): hubiese, hubieses, hubiese, hubiésemos, hubieseis, hubiesen

Forming Past Participles

Regular -ar verbs: → -ado

hablar → hablado, estudiar → estudiado, trabajar → trabajado

Regular -er/-ir verbs: → -ido

comer → comido, vivir → vivido, salir → salido

Common irregular participles:

hacer → hecho, escribir → escrito, ver → visto,
decir → dicho, poner → puesto, volver → vuelto,
abrir → abierto, romper → roto, morir → muerto

Common Uses of Pluperfect Subjunctive

Si + pluperfect subjunctive

Si hubiera sabido, habría venido

If I had known, I would have come

Ojalá + pluperfect subjunctive

Ojalá hubiera estudiado más

I wish I had studied more

Como si + pluperfect subjunctive

Hablaba como si hubiera estado allí

He spoke as if he had been there

Past doubts/emotions

Dudaba que hubieran llegado

I doubted they had arrived

Aunque + pluperfect subjunctive

Aunque hubiera llovido, habríamos ido

Even if it had rained, we would have gone

Antes de que + pluperfect subjunctive

Salió antes de que hubiéramos llegado

He left before we had arrived

Examples

Real-World Examples

😞 Regrets & Past Wishes

Ojalá hubiera estudiado más para el examen

I wish I had studied more for the exam

Ojalá hubiéramos comprado la casa cuando pudimos

I wish we had bought the house when we could

Ojalá me hubiera despedido de él antes de que se fuera

I wish I had said goodbye to him before he left

Ojalá no hubiera dicho eso

I wish I hadn't said that

🔀 Third Conditional (If... would have...)

Si hubiera sabido, te habría llamado

If I had known, I would have called you

Si hubieras venido, te habría gustado la fiesta

If you had come, you would have liked the party

Si hubiera llovido, nos habríamos quedado en casa

If it had rained, we would have stayed at home

Si hubieran entrenado más, habrían ganado

If they had trained more, they would have won

💼 Work & Career Decisions

Si hubiera aceptado el trabajo, ahora viviría en Londres

If I had accepted the job, I would now live in London

Ojalá hubiera pedido un aumento cuando tuve la oportunidad

I wish I had asked for a raise when I had the chance

Si hubieran invertido en la empresa, ahora serían ricos

If they had invested in the company, they'd be rich now

Dudaba que hubieran recibido mi propuesta a tiempo

I doubted they had received my proposal on time

🎓 Education & Learning

Si hubiera ido a la universidad, ahora tendría mejor trabajo

If I had gone to university, I'd have a better job now

Ojalá hubiéramos prestado más atención en clase

I wish we had paid more attention in class

No creía que hubieran aprobado todos los exámenes

I didn't think they had passed all the exams

Si hubieras estudiado medicina, ahora serías doctor

If you had studied medicine, you'd be a doctor now

💔 Relationships & Life Choices

Si no me hubiera casado tan joven, habría viajado más

If I hadn't got married so young, I would have travelled more

Ojalá hubiera sido más honesto con ella

I wish I had been more honest with her

Si hubiéramos tenido hijos, nuestra vida sería diferente

If we had had children, our life would be different

Actuaba como si nunca me hubiera conocido

He/She acted as if they had never met me

🏠 Life Decisions & Missed Opportunities

Si hubiéramos comprado esa casa, ahora valdría el doble

If we had bought that house, it would now be worth double

Ojalá no me hubiera mudado tan lejos de mi familia

I wish I hadn't moved so far from my family

Si hubieran vendido antes, habrían ganado más dinero

If they had sold earlier, they would have made more money

Me sorprendió que hubieran renovado toda la casa

I was surprised they had renovated the whole house

🌍 Travel & Adventures

Si hubiera ahorrado más, habría viajado por Asia

If I had saved more, I would have travelled around Asia

Ojalá hubiéramos visitado más países cuando éramos jóvenes

I wish we had visited more countries when we were young

Si no hubiera perdido el pasaporte, habría llegado a tiempo

If I hadn't lost my passport, I would have arrived on time

Dudaba que hubieran reservado los billetes con antelación

I doubted they had booked the tickets in advance

⚡ Quick Decisions & Consequences

Si hubiera escuchado tu consejo, no habría cometido ese error

If I had listened to your advice, I wouldn't have made that mistake

Ojalá no hubiera gastado tanto dinero en tonterías

I wish I hadn't spent so much money on nonsense

Si hubieras llegado cinco minutos antes, lo habrías visto

If you had arrived five minutes earlier, you would have seen it

Hablaba como si hubiera ganado la lotería

He/She spoke as if they had won the lottery

💬 Communication & Misunderstandings

Si me hubiera explicado mejor, te habrías entendido

If I had explained myself better, you would have understood

Ojalá hubiera sido más claro desde el principio

I wish I had been clearer from the beginning

Si hubieras contestado al teléfono, te habría contado todo

If you had answered the phone, I would have told you everything

No creía que hubieran entendido el mensaje

I didn't think they had understood the message

Gotchas / Common Mistakes

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using conditional perfect instead of pluperfect subjunctive after 'si'

❌ Wrong: Si habría sabido, habría venido

✅ Right: Si hubiera sabido, habría venido

❌ Using perfect subjunctive instead of pluperfect subjunctive

❌ Wrong: Si haya sabido (perfect subjunctive)

✅ Right: Si hubiera sabido (pluperfect subjunctive)

❌ Confusing hubiera (pluperfect subjunctive) with habría (conditional perfect)

❌ Wrong: Ojalá habría estudiado más

✅ Right: Ojalá hubiera estudiado más

❌ Using indicative pluperfect instead of subjunctive

❌ Wrong: Si había sabido (pluperfect indicative)