hubieran

oo-BYEHR-ahn/uˈβjeɾan/

“hubieran” means “had” in Spanish (as a helping verb in the structure 'if they had done something').

had

Also: they/you (plural formal) had

VerbB2irregular (auxiliary) er

A child standing in front of a large, bright red button on a pedestal, looking at their hand which is held back by a faint, translucent blue energy barrier, symbolizing a hypothetical past action or condition.

infinitivehaber

gerundhabiendo

past Participlehabido

📝 In Action

Si hubieran traído un mapa, no nos habríamos perdido.

If they had brought a map, we wouldn't have gotten lost.

Dudábamos que ustedes hubieran terminado la tarea a tiempo.

We doubted that you (formal plural) had finished the homework on time.

Me alegré de que hubieran encontrado la solución.

I was happy that they had found the solution.

Word Connections

Synonyms

hubiesen (had (alternative form))

Common Collocations

Si hubieran sabido – If they had known
No creía que hubieran llegado – I didn't believe that they had arrived

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedha

yohe

túhas

ellos/ellas/ustedeshan

nosotroshemos

vosotroshabéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedhabía

yohabía

túhabías

ellos/ellas/ustedeshabían

nosotroshabíamos

vosotroshabíais

preterite

él/ella/ustedhubo

yohube

túhubiste

ellos/ellas/ustedeshubieron

nosotroshubimos

vosotroshubisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedhaya

yohaya

túhayas

ellos/ellas/ustedeshayan

nosotroshayamos

vosotroshayáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedhubiera

yohubiera

túhubieras

ellos/ellas/ustedeshubieran

nosotroshubiéramos

vosotroshubierais

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: hubieran

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'hubieran' to talk about a past regret or missed opportunity?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

haber(to have (auxiliary)) — Verb

había(there was/there were) — Verb

🎵 Rhymes▼

fueranvieran

📚 Etymology▼

The word comes from the Latin verb *habēre* (to have or to hold). Over time, this word became the main Spanish helping verb for forming compound tenses, and the special form 'hubieran' evolved to express possibilities or wishes related to the past.

First recorded: Old Spanish

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: houveramFrench: auraient

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'hubieran' and 'hubiesen'?

They are the same verb form (Imperfect Subjunctive of 'haber') and mean the exact same thing. 'Hubieran' is much more commonly used in spoken and modern written Spanish, especially in Latin America and Spain, while 'hubiesen' is often seen as more formal or literary.

Can I use 'hubieran' without another verb?

No. 'Hubieran' is a helping verb. It must always be followed by a past participle (like *comido*, *visto*, or *hecho*) to form a complete thought about a past action.