Unreal past conditions: si hubiera / habría

To say what would have happened but didn't, put the condition in the pluperfect subjunctive (hubiera/hubiese + participle) and the result in the conditional perfect (habría + participle). Either half can come first.

Examples

Si hubiera sabido la verdad, no habría aceptado el trabajo.: If I had known the truth, I wouldn't have taken the job.
Habríamos llegado a tiempo si no hubiese habido tanto tráfico.: We would have arrived on time if there hadn't been so much traffic.
Si me lo hubieras dicho antes, te habría ayudado.: If you had told me earlier, I would have helped you.

The mistake to avoid

Never put habría after si - the condition takes hubiera/hubiese, only the result takes habría.

Where this fits in

Reflexionar sobre la vida, Spanish B2: Narrate formative experiences, express regrets, and report what others said using the pluperfect, conditional perfect, pluperfect subjunctive, and indirect speech.

Lesson: Experiencias que me marcaron

Narrate formative past experiences
Use the pluscuamperfecto for events prior to another past event

Words in this lesson

marcar - to leave a mark on (someone): Aquel viaje a la India me marcó para siempre.That trip to India left a mark on me forever.
una etapa - a stage / phase (of life): La universidad fue una etapa muy importante de mi vida.University was a very important stage of my life.
darse cuenta de - to realize: Cuesta darse cuenta de los propios errores.It's hard to realize one's own mistakes.
había aprendido - I had learned: Antes de cumplir los veinte, ya había aprendido tres idiomas.Before turning twenty, I had already learned three languages.
había vivido - I had lived: Cuando la conocí, ya había vivido en cuatro países.When I met her, I had already lived in four countries.
una experiencia formativa - a formative experience: Trabajar como voluntario fue una experiencia formativa increíble.Working as a volunteer was an incredible formative experience.
superar un reto - to overcome a challenge: Nada me motiva tanto como superar un reto difícil.Nothing motivates me as much as overcoming a difficult challenge.
echar la vista atrás - to look back (on the past): Es sano echar la vista atrás de vez en cuando.It's healthy to look back now and then.

Translate: practice sentences

When I arrived in Madrid, I had already learned some Spanish.: Cuando llegué a Madrid, ya había aprendido algo de español.
Before meeting him, she had lived in three different countries.: Antes de conocerlo, ella había vivido en tres países diferentes.
I realized that I had forgotten my keys at the office.: Me di cuenta de que había olvidado las llaves en la oficina.
That stage of my life left a mark on me forever.: Esa etapa de mi vida me marcó para siempre.
Looking back, I see that I had overcome a huge challenge.: Echando la vista atrás, veo que había superado un reto enorme.

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Spanish grammar · CEFR B2

Unreal past conditions: si hubiera / habría

Examples

Si hubiera sabido la verdad, no habría aceptado el trabajo.: If I had known the truth, I wouldn't have taken the job.
Habríamos llegado a tiempo si no hubiese habido tanto tráfico.: We would have arrived on time if there hadn't been so much traffic.
Si me lo hubieras dicho antes, te habría ayudado.: If you had told me earlier, I would have helped you.

The mistake to avoid

Never put habría after si - the condition takes hubiera/hubiese, only the result takes habría.

Where this fits in

Lesson: Experiencias que me marcaron

Narrate formative past experiences
Use the pluscuamperfecto for events prior to another past event

Words in this lesson

marcar - to leave a mark on (someone): Aquel viaje a la India me marcó para siempre.That trip to India left a mark on me forever.
una etapa - a stage / phase (of life): La universidad fue una etapa muy importante de mi vida.University was a very important stage of my life.
darse cuenta de - to realize: Cuesta darse cuenta de los propios errores.It's hard to realize one's own mistakes.
había aprendido - I had learned: Antes de cumplir los veinte, ya había aprendido tres idiomas.Before turning twenty, I had already learned three languages.
había vivido - I had lived: Cuando la conocí, ya había vivido en cuatro países.When I met her, I had already lived in four countries.
una experiencia formativa - a formative experience: Trabajar como voluntario fue una experiencia formativa increíble.Working as a volunteer was an incredible formative experience.
superar un reto - to overcome a challenge: Nada me motiva tanto como superar un reto difícil.Nothing motivates me as much as overcoming a difficult challenge.
echar la vista atrás - to look back (on the past): Es sano echar la vista atrás de vez en cuando.It's healthy to look back now and then.

Translate: practice sentences

When I arrived in Madrid, I had already learned some Spanish.: Cuando llegué a Madrid, ya había aprendido algo de español.
Before meeting him, she had lived in three different countries.: Antes de conocerlo, ella había vivido en tres países diferentes.
I realized that I had forgotten my keys at the office.: Me di cuenta de que había olvidado las llaves en la oficina.
That stage of my life left a mark on me forever.: Esa etapa de mi vida me marcó para siempre.
Looking back, I see that I had overcome a huge challenge.: Echando la vista atrás, veo que había superado un reto enorme.

Verb tables for these sentences

All Spanish grammar points →

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Examples

The mistake to avoid

Where this fits in

Lesson: Experiencias que me marcaron

Words in this lesson

Translate: practice sentences

Verb tables for these sentences

More Spanish grammar

Examples

The mistake to avoid

Where this fits in

Lesson: Experiencias que me marcaron

Words in this lesson

Translate: practice sentences

Verb tables for these sentences

More Spanish grammar