Question 1

Why does this sentence use viviera (the imperfect subjunctive) instead of the normal past tense vivía?

Accepted Answer

The phrase no pensaba que (I didn't think that) expresses a negated belief, which forces the second part of the sentence into the subjunctive mood. Because the main verb (pensaba) is in the past tense, the second verb (viviera) must be in the past (imperfect) subjunctive to match the timeline.

Question 2

How exactly is viviera formed here from the verb vivir?

Accepted Answer

To form the imperfect subjunctive, you always start with the ellos/ellas form of the simple past (preterite). For vivir, that is vivieron. You drop the -ron to get the stem (vivie-), and then add the imperfect subjunctive endings. For el bandido (he), the ending is -ra, giving you viviera.

Question 3

If the sentence were affirmative ("I thought the bandit lived in the desert"), would it still use viviera?

Accepted Answer

No. Affirmative statements of thought or belief, like pensaba que (I thought that), do not trigger the subjunctive because they don't express doubt from the speaker's perspective. You would use the normal past indicative instead: Pensaba que el bandido vivía en el desierto.

Question 4

Since pensaba is used, how do we know it means "I didn't think" and not "He/she didn't think"?

Accepted Answer

In the imperfect tense, the yo (I) and él/ella/usted (he/she/you formal) forms are identical (pensaba). Out of context, it could mean either! Unless a subject pronoun like yo or él is added for clarity, you have to rely on the surrounding conversation to know who is thinking.

No pensaba que el bandido viviera en el desierto.

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