Breakdown of Me gustaría que el sonido fuera perfecto.
ser
to be
que
that / than
me
to me / me (direct object)
gustar
to like
perfecto
perfect
el sonido
the sound
Questions & Answers about Me gustaría que el sonido fuera perfecto.
Why is the verb fuera in the imperfect subjunctive?
The main verb gustaría is in the conditional tense, expressing a desire. When a wish or desire is in the conditional, it triggers the imperfect subjunctive (past subjunctive) in the second part of the sentence. That is why we use fuera instead of the present subjunctive sea.
The English translation uses the infinitive "to be perfect". Why can't we just say Me gustaría el sonido ser perfecto?
In Spanish, when the person having the desire (I) is different from the subject of the action being desired (the sound), you cannot use the infinitive. You must connect the two ideas with que (that) and conjugate the second verb in the subjunctive.
Fuera comes from the verb ser. Why don't we use estar (estuviera) for being perfect?
While you might think of a sound check as a temporary state, perfection is considered an absolute, inherent quality. In Spanish, absolute defining qualities like being perfect, necessary, or impossible generally use ser.
Could I use fuese instead of fuera?
Yes! Both fuera and fuese are correct imperfect subjunctive forms of the verb ser. Fuera is much more common in everyday Latin American Spanish, but you will also see and hear fuese, especially in writing.
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