Reacting to past events
To express how you felt about a past event, use a past-tense verb of emotion (like me encantó or me sorprendió) followed by que.
Just like in the present tense, if the person experiencing the emotion is different from the person performing the action, the second verb must be in the subjunctive. Because the emotion occurred in the past, the second verb takes the imperfect subjunctive (the past subjunctive).
| I loved that the band started their tour here. | Me encantó que la banda empezara su gira aquí. |
| I was surprised that the fans waited outside. | Me sorprendió que los fanáticos esperaran afuera. |
| It frustrated me that the venue had bad acoustics. | Me frustró que el recinto tuviera mala acústica. |
Expressing past judgments
You can also evaluate past events using impersonal phrases like fue increíble (it was incredible) or fue una lástima (it was a pity). These expressions of judgment also trigger the imperfect subjunctive.
| It was a pity that they didn't finish the tour. | Fue una lástima que no terminaran la gira. |
| It was terrible that the acoustics failed. | Fue terrible que la acústica fallara. |
| It was incredible that the noise was deafening. | Fue increíble que el ruido fuera ensordecedor. |
Describing the concert experience
This structure works for any emotional reaction, from joy to anger. Notice how the imperfect subjunctive verbs (which end in -ra, -ran, -ramos, etc., in Latin America) capture these unforgettable moments.
| It fascinated me that the show dazzled everyone. | Me fascinó que el espectáculo deslumbrara a todos. |
| We loved that the stadium vibrated. | Nos encantó que el estadio vibrara. |
| It was unfair that they didn't let us into the dressing room. | Fue injusto que no nos dejaran entrar al camerino. |