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Preferiría que ustedes guardaran esos fondos.

Preferiría que ustedes guardaran esos fondos.
I would prefer that you guys keep those funds.
From Lesson 186:Subjunctive with conditional verbs (me gustaría que...)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Preferiría que ustedes guardaran esos fondos.

Why is guardaran in the imperfect subjunctive instead of the present subjunctive?
The main verb preferiría is in the conditional tense (would prefer). When the main verb expressing a wish, preference, or request is in the conditional or a past tense, the verb in the dependent clause (after que) must be in the imperfect subjunctive. So, preferiría que requires guardaran, not guarden.
Since preferiría doesn't have an explicit subject like yo, could it also mean he or she would prefer?
Yes! The conditional forms for yo, él, ella, and usted are identical. Out of context, preferiría could mean I, he, she, or you (formal) would prefer. The English translation tells us it means I here, but in a real conversation, you would add yo if it wasn't already clear.
Could we drop ustedes and just say que guardaran esos fondos?
Yes, you can. However, because the -ran ending of guardaran can also apply to ellos or ellas (they), including ustedes makes it crystal clear who you are talking to. It also adds a bit of emphasis, like saying I would prefer that you guys keep them.
I thought guardar meant to put away or to save. Why does it mean to keep here?
While guardar often means to put away or to save, it is also the standard verb for to keep in the sense of holding onto something or storing it for later. Here, keeping the fondos means holding onto the money rather than spending or returning it.
Why is it esos fondos instead of aquellos fondos?
Esos means those for things that are somewhat close to the listener or recently mentioned. Aquellos means those over there (far from both the speaker and the listener). In most everyday financial or abstract contexts, esos is the natural choice for those.

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