supiera
soo-PYEH-rah
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Si yo supiera la respuesta, te la diría.
B1If I knew the answer, I would tell you.
Esperaba que ella supiera la verdad.
B2I hoped that she knew the truth.
No había nadie que supiera manejar ese sistema antiguo.
B2There was no one who knew how to operate that old system.
💡 Grammar Points
The Imperfect Subjunctive Mood
This form ('supiera') is used to express wishes, feelings, or doubts about a past event, or to set up hypothetical 'if' statements about the present or future.
The 'If...Then' Structure
When talking about unreal or hypothetical situations, you use 'si' (if) plus the Imperfect Subjunctive ('supiera'), followed by the Conditional tense ('diría').
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing 'saber' and 'conocer'
Mistake: "Using 'saber' when talking about knowing a person or place (e.g., 'Si supiera a Juan...')."
Correction: Use 'conociera' for people and places: 'Si conociera a Juan...' ('If I knew Juan...'). Use 'supiera' for facts or skills: 'Si supiera la dirección...' ('If I knew the address...').
Using the Indicative for Hypotheticals
Mistake: "Saying 'Si yo sé la respuesta, te la diría.'"
Correction: The structure requires the special Subjunctive form for the 'if' part: 'Si yo supiera la respuesta, te la diría.' (If I knew, I would tell you.)
⭐ Usage Tips
The Other Form
Spanish also has the '-se' ending for this tense (supiese). Both 'supiera' and 'supiese' are correct, but 'supiera' (the '-ra' form) is generally more common today.
Politeness
The Imperfect Subjunctive can make requests sound extremely polite, especially with the verb querer (to want): 'Quisiera un café' is much softer than 'Quiero un café'.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: supiera
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'supiera' to express a hypothetical situation?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'supiera' the same as 'supiese'?
Yes, they are both forms of the Imperfect Subjunctive for 'saber' (to know). They mean the exact same thing and are interchangeable, though 'supiera' (the -ra form) is slightly more common in modern speech.
When do I use 'supiera' instead of 'sabía' (the Imperfect Indicative)?
You use 'sabía' when stating a definite fact or repeated action in the past (e.g., 'I knew he was here'). You use 'supiera' when expressing feelings, doubts, wishes, or hypothetical conditions related to the past or present (e.g., 'I doubted he knew').