hubiera
oo-BYEH-rah
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Si hubiera sabido que venías, habría preparado la cena.
B2If I had known you were coming, I would have prepared dinner.
Ojalá hubiera viajado más cuando era joven.
B2I wish I had traveled more when I was young.
Actuó como si no hubiera pasado nada.
C1He acted as if nothing had happened.
No creía que la película ya hubiera empezado.
C1I didn't think the movie had already started.
Si me lo hubieras pedido, te hubiera ayudado. (common informal usage)
B2If you had asked me, I would have helped you.
💡 Grammar Points
Talking About an Impossible Past ('What If...')
Use 'hubiera' to set up a 'what if' scenario in the past that didn't actually happen. It almost always appears in a sentence that starts with 'si' (if). The structure is: Si [hubiera + verb], [habría + verb]. Example: Si hubiera llovido, no habríamos salido. (If it had rained, we wouldn't have gone out.)
Expressing Past Regrets and Wishes
Combine 'hubiera' with 'Ojalá' to say 'I wish...' or 'If only...' about something in the past. Example: ¡Ojalá hubiera comprado las entradas antes! (I wish I had bought the tickets sooner!)
The Other Form: 'Hubiese'
You will often see or hear 'hubiese' used in exactly the same way as 'hubiera'. They mean the same thing and are completely interchangeable. 'Si hubiese sabido' is the same as 'Si hubiera sabido'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing up 'hubiera' and 'habría'
Mistake: "Si yo habría sabido, te hubiera llamado."
Correction: Si yo hubiera sabido, te habría llamado. Think of it this way: 'hubiera' goes with 'si' (if). The 'habría' part is the 'then' or the result.
Using a simple past tense for hypotheticals
Mistake: "Si yo supe, te llamé."
Correction: Si yo hubiera sabido, te habría llamado. For imaginary past situations or 'what ifs', you can't use the regular past tense. You need this special 'hubiera' form to show it didn't really happen.
⭐ Usage Tips
A Common Spoken Shortcut
In casual conversation, many native speakers use 'hubiera' in both parts of a conditional sentence: 'Si hubiera tenido dinero, me hubiera comprado el coche.' While very common to hear, it's best to use 'habría' for the result in writing or more formal situations.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: hubiera
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly completes the idea: 'If I had studied...'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'hubiera' and 'hubiese'?
There is no difference in meaning at all. They are two different spellings for the same verb form and can be used interchangeably. 'Hubiera' is generally more common in everyday speech in most regions, while 'hubiese' might sound slightly more formal or literary, but both are perfectly correct.
Why can't I just say 'Si yo tenía...' (If I had...)?
In Spanish, when you talk about a situation with 'si' (if) that is imaginary or contrary to what actually happened in the past, you must use a special verb form called the subjunctive. 'Tenía' is for describing things that were actually happening in the past, while 'hubiera tenido' is for imagining a past that was different.
Is it 'hubiera' or 'habría'? They both seem to mean 'would have'.
This is a great question! In a typical 'if... then...' sentence about the past, 'hubiera' goes in the 'if' part, and 'habría' goes in the 'then' (result) part. For example: 'Si hubiera llovido (if part), no habría salido (then part)'. However, you'll often hear native speakers use 'hubiera' in both parts, which is a common informal shortcut.