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Spanish Tense Sequences: Which Tenses Go Together

Why Tense Sequences Matter

In Spanish, you can't just combine any tenses you like. There are specific sequence of tense rules (called consecutio temporum in grammar terminology) that govern which tenses can go together in complex sentences. Breaking these rules sounds as wrong to native speakers as "If I will see him, I will tell him" sounds in English.

This article focuses on the combinations and patterns - not explaining individual tenses (covered in our grammar topics), but showing you which tenses work together and which don't.

📋 What You'll Learn

Si clause tense sequences (conditional sentences)
Subjunctive tense matching rules
Temporal clause patterns (cuando, mientras, después de que)
Reported speech tense shifts
Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Si Clause Sequences

Si (if) clauses follow strict tense sequences. You cannot use future or conditional in the si clause itself - but you can use them in the main clause.

Pattern 1: Present + Future (Real/Likely Conditions)

Structure: Si + present indicative → future / present / imperative

Si Clause (Present)	Main Clause	English
Si llueve	me quedaré en casa	If it rains, I'll stay home
Si tienes tiempo	llámame	If you have time, call me
Si estudias	apruebas	If you study, you pass

❌ Never: Si lloverá, me quedaré en casa
✅ Correct: Si llueve, me quedaré en casa

Pattern 2: Imperfect Subjunctive + Conditional (Hypothetical)

Structure: Si + imperfect subjunctive → conditional

Si Clause (Imp. Subj.)	Main Clause (Conditional)	English
Si tuviera dinero	viajaría más	If I had money, I would travel more
Si fuera rico	compraría una casa	If I were rich, I would buy a house
Si estudiaras más	aprobarías	If you studied more, you would pass

❌ Never: Si tendría dinero, viajaría
✅ Correct: Si tuviera dinero, viajaría

Pattern 3: Pluperfect Subjunctive + Conditional Perfect (Past Hypothetical)

Structure: Si + pluperfect subjunctive → conditional perfect

Si Clause (Pluperf. Subj.)	Main Clause (Cond. Perfect)	English
Si hubiera estudiado	habría aprobado	If I had studied, I would have passed
Si hubieras venido	te habría gustado	If you had come, you would have liked it

For more on conditional sentences: Conditional Sentences Guide

Subjunctive Tense Matching

The tense of the main clause determines which subjunctive tense you must use in the dependent clause. This is one of the strictest sequence rules in Spanish.

The Matching Rule

Main Clause Tense	→ Subjunctive Tense	Time Reference
Present Future Present Perfect Imperative	Present Subjunctive (or Perfect Subjunctive)	Present/Future action
Preterite Imperfect Conditional Pluperfect	Imperfect Subjunctive (or Pluperfect Subjunctive)	Past action

Examples: Present → Present Subjunctive

Main Clause	Subjunctive Clause	English
Quiero que	vengas	I want you to come
Espero que	estés bien	I hope you're well
Dudo que	sea verdad	I doubt it's true

Examples: Past → Imperfect Subjunctive

Main Clause	Subjunctive Clause	English
Quería que	vinieras	I wanted you to come
Esperaba que	estuvieras bien	I hoped you were well
Dudé que	fuera verdad	I doubted it was true

❌ Common Mistakes

Wrong tense sequence:

❌ Quería que vengas (mixing past + present subjunctive)

✅ Quería que vinieras

❌ Quiero que vinieras (mixing present + imperfect subjunctive)

✅ Quiero que vengas

For more on subjunctive: Present Subjunctive | Imperfect Subjunctive

Temporal Clause Patterns

Time clauses (cuando, mientras, después de que, etc.) follow specific tense patterns depending on whether the action is habitual, completed, or future.

Pattern: Cuando (When)

Rule: Cuando + subjunctive for future actions, indicative for past/habitual

Context	Pattern	Example
Future action	Cuando + present subjunctive	Cuando llegue, te llamaré When I arrive, I'll call you
Habitual action	Cuando + present indicative	Cuando llego, te llamo When I arrive, I call you
Past action	Cuando + preterite/imperfect	Cuando llegué, te llamé When I arrived, I called you

❌ Never use future after cuando:
Cuando llegaré, te llamaré
✅ Correct: Cuando llegue, te llamaré

Other Temporal Conjunctions

These follow the same pattern as cuando:

Mientras (while) - Mientras estudies, aprobarás
Después de que (after) - Después de que termine, saldremos
Antes de que (before) - Always takes subjunctive: Antes de que llegue
Hasta que (until) - Hasta que vuelvas, esperaré
En cuanto / Tan pronto como (as soon as) - En cuanto llegue, empezamos

Reported Speech Tense Shifts

When reporting what someone said (using dijo que, preguntó si, etc.), you often need to shift tenses backwards - but not always. Here are the patterns:

Tense Shift Patterns

Direct Speech Tense	→ Reported Speech Tense	Example
Present	→ Imperfect	"Estoy cansado" → Dijo que estaba cansado
Preterite	→ Pluperfect	"Llegué tarde" → Dijo que había llegado tarde
Future	→ Conditional	"Vendré mañana" → Dijo que vendría mañana
Imperative	→ Imperfect Subjunctive	"Ven aquí" → Me dijo que viniera
Present Subjunctive	→ Imperfect Subjunctive	"Espero que vengas" → Dijo que esperaba que viniera

When NOT to Shift Tenses

Keep the same tense when:

The statement is still true:
Dijo que Madrid es la capital (still true, can use present)
He said Madrid is the capital
Reporting verb is in present:
Dice que está cansado (no shift needed)
He says he's tired
Universal truths:
Me explicó que el agua hierve a 100 grados
He explained to me that water boils at 100 degrees

For complete coverage: Reported Speech in Spanish

Common Sequence Mistakes

Top 5 Tense Sequence Errors

1. Future or Conditional in Si Clauses

❌ Si tendré tiempo, iré

✅ Si tengo tiempo, iré

2. Future After Cuando (for future events)

❌ Cuando llegaré, te llamaré

✅ Cuando llegue, te llamaré

3. Mismatching Subjunctive Tenses

❌ Quería que vengas