fueran
“fueran” means “they were” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
they were, you (plural) were
Also: were to be
📝 In Action
Si ellos no fueran tan ruidosos, dormiría mejor.
B1If they weren't so noisy, I would sleep better.
El profesor pidió que los trabajos fueran entregados antes del lunes.
B2The professor asked that the papers be (were) submitted before Monday.
Me gustaría que mis amigos fueran más puntuales.
B1I would like it if my friends were more punctual.
they went, you (plural) went
Also: would go
📝 In Action
Ojalá que los niños no se fueran tan lejos.
B1I wish the children wouldn't go so far away.
Si no fueran al mercado, no tendrían cena.
B2If they didn't go to the market, they wouldn't have dinner.
Mi madre insistió en que ustedes fueran con cuidado.
B2My mother insisted that you (plural) go carefully.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: fueran
Question 1 of 2
In the sentence 'Si mis padres _________ más jóvenes, viajarían más,' which meaning of 'fueran' is used?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
The shared past forms of 'ser' and 'ir' come from the same highly irregular Latin root verb, *fui*, which meant 'I was' or 'I went.' This explains why these two fundamental Spanish verbs are identical in many past tenses, including the preterite and the imperfect subjunctive.
First recorded: Old Spanish (likely 10th-12th century)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if 'fueran' means 'were' (ser) or 'went' (ir)?
You must look at the rest of the sentence. If 'fueran' is followed by a destination (like 'al parque' or 'a casa'), it means 'went' (ir). If it describes a quality, identity, or state (like 'doctores' or 'difíciles'), it means 'were' (ser).
Is 'fueran' the same as 'fuesen'?
Yes, 'fueran' and 'fuesen' are two equally correct forms of the imperfect subjunctive. 'Fueran' (the -ra form) is far more commonly used in most Spanish-speaking regions today, especially in everyday conversation.