hubieses
oo-BYE-eh-sehs
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Si lo **hubieses** sabido antes, no habríamos cometido ese error.
B2If you **had** known it sooner, we wouldn't have made that mistake.
Esperaba que **hubieses** terminado la tarea para el mediodía.
B2I hoped that you **had** finished the assignment by noon.
No creí que **hubieses** podido hacerlo tan rápido.
C1I didn't think that you **had** been able to do it so quickly.
💡 Grammar Points
A Compound Tense
This word, hubieses, is the auxiliary part of a compound tense, meaning it always needs a second verb (the past participle, ending in -ado or -ido) to have a complete meaning, like hubieses visto (you had seen).
The 'If... Then...' Past
Use hubieses most often after the word si (if) to talk about a condition that didn't happen in the past and its result. Example: Si hubieses comido (If you had eaten...).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing Subjunctive and Indicative
Mistake: "Using 'Si has estudiado...' when talking about a contrary-to-fact past event."
Correction: For past hypotheticals, Spanish requires the special form: 'Si hubieses estudiado...' (If you had studied...). The simple present indicative ('has') cannot follow 'si' in this context.
⭐ Usage Tips
Interchangeable Forms
Remember that hubieses and hubieras are two ways to say the exact same thing in Spanish. Choose the one that sounds better to you; they are both correct.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: hubieses
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'hubieses' to express regret about a past action?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'hubieses' common in everyday conversation?
It is less common than its counterpart 'hubieras,' but it is still used, especially in complex conditional sentences or when speaking in a slightly more formal register. Learners should recognize it, even if they primarily use 'hubieras'.
Does 'hubieses' mean 'had' or 'would have'?
It means 'had' as an auxiliary verb, forming the Past Perfect Subjunctive. However, when paired with the conditional perfect ('habrías hecho'), the whole structure expresses 'would have done' if used in an 'if' clause (e.g., 'Si hubieses venido, habrías visto...').