Question 1

Why do we use the past perfect subjunctive (hubiera tenido) here instead of the imperfect subjunctive (tuviera)?

Accepted Answer

Because the wish is about a past event that is now impossible to change, as shown by the word ayer. The structure ¡Quién! + past perfect subjunctive expresses regret over an unattainable past wish. If you were wishing for superhuman strength right now, you would use the imperfect subjunctive: ¡Quién tuviera una fuerza sobrehumana hoy!

Question 2

If the translation says 'If only I had had', why is the verb conjugated in the third-person singular instead of the first person?

Accepted Answer

The structure ¡Quién! followed by the subjunctive is a fixed idiom. Even though we translate it as 'If only I...' or 'I wish I...', grammatically the subject of the sentence is the pronoun quién (who). Therefore, the verb must always be conjugated in the third-person singular.

Question 3

Could I use hubiese tenido in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes, absolutely. The past subjunctive has two sets of endings (-ra and -se). ¡Quién hubiese tenido...! is perfectly correct and means the exact same thing, although the -ra form seen here is generally more common in everyday spoken Spanish.

Question 4

Why include the article una before fuerza sobrehumana?

Accepted Answer

While you can generally say tener fuerza (to have strength) without an article, adding una here is used to emphasize the specific, extraordinary kind of strength being wished for. It makes the exclamation feel much more dramatic and descriptive.

¡Quién hubiera tenido una fuerza sobrehumana ayer!

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