The imperfect subjunctive does not exist in isolation — it is triggered by the tense of the main clause. Whenever the main clause is in the past or conditional, any subjunctive verb in the dependent clause must also be in a past form. This rule is known as the sequence of tenses (concordancia de tiempos).
The Basic Pattern
If the main clause uses any of these tenses, the dependent clause takes the imperfect subjunctive:
- Preterite (dijo, quiso, pidió)
- Imperfect (decía, quería, pedía)
- Conditional (diría, querría, pediría)
- Past perfect (había dicho, había querido)
The main verb quería is imperfect, so venir must be in the imperfect subjunctive (vinieras), not the present subjunctive (vengas).
Sequence of Tenses Table
| Main Clause Tense | Subordinate Tense |
|---|---|
| Present | Present subjunctive |
| Future | Present subjunctive |
| Preterite | Imperfect subjunctive |
| Imperfect | Imperfect subjunctive |
| Conditional | Imperfect subjunctive |
Preterite Triggers
When the main verb is in the preterite, the subordinate subjunctive shifts to imperfect:
No creí que llegaras tan temprano.
I didn't think you would arrive so early.
Compare with a present-tense main clause: "Me dice que estudie más" (She tells me to study more). The subjunctive verb shifts between estudie and estudiara depending on the main clause.
Imperfect Triggers
Imperfect main clauses behave the same way, setting up an ongoing or habitual past:
Siempre esperaba que me llamaras.
I was always hoping you would call me.
Mis padres querían que fuera médico.
My parents wanted me to be a doctor.
Conditional Triggers
Conditional main clauses are often used for wishes, polite suggestions, and hypotheticals. They always pair with the imperfect subjunctive:
Me gustaría que vinieras a la fiesta.
I would like you to come to the party.
Expressions That Require This Rule
Every subjunctive trigger you learned with the present subjunctive works the same way here. The only thing that changes is the tense of both verbs.
| Trigger | Present | Past |
|---|---|---|
| querer que | Quiero que hables. | Quería que hablaras. |
| pedir que | Pide que vengas. | Pidió que vinieras. |
| dudar que | Dudo que sepa. | Dudaba que supiera. |
| no creer que | No creo que sea. | No creía que fuera. |
| es bueno que | Es bueno que estudies. | Era bueno que estudiaras. |
Simultaneous or Later Actions
The imperfect subjunctive expresses an action that happened at the same time as or after the main clause action — not before it. For earlier actions, you would use the pluperfect subjunctive (hubiera hablado), which is covered separately.
Nos dijo que estudiáramos esa noche.
He told us to study that night.
Here the studying happens after the telling, which is exactly what the imperfect subjunctive handles.
Next up: si-clauses for hypothetical conditions, or como si for unreal comparisons.
Related Topics
- Imperfect Subjunctive: -Ra FormsB2 — Learn how to form the imperfect subjunctive using the -ra endings, the most common form in Latin American Spanish.
- Si-Clauses (Type 2)B2 — Express hypothetical situations with si + imperfect subjunctive + conditional.
- Como SiB2 — The expression como si (as if) always requires the imperfect subjunctive, even in present contexts.