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tuviera

too-VYEH-rah

verbB1irregular er

I had?(Hypothetical/Past Subjunctive),he/she/you (formal) had?(Hypothetical/Past Subjunctive)

Also:I might have?Expressing past possibility or necessity,were I to have?Used in 'if' clauses (Si yo tuviera...)

Quick Reference

infinitivetener

gerundteniendo

past Participletenido

📝 In Action

Si yo tuviera más tiempo libre, viajaría por todo el mundo.

If I had more free time, I would travel all over the world.

Era importante que él tuviera su pasaporte antes de volar.

It was important that he had his passport before flying.

Dudábamos que ella tuviera la culpa del accidente.

We doubted that she was to blame (literally: had the blame) for the accident.

Word Connections

Synonyms

poseyera (I possessed (formal subjunctive alternative))

Common Collocations

Si yo tuviera... – If I had...
Me gustaría que tuviera... – I would like it to have...
Era necesario que tuviera... – It was necessary that he/she had...

💡 Grammar Points

A Form of the Past Subjunctive

Tuviera is the 'Past Subjunctive' form of 'tener' (to have). It is used after past events or hypothetical statements, often translating to a simple past ('had') in English, but with uncertainty or condition.

Use in Hypothetical 'If' Statements

When talking about unreal or contrary-to-fact situations, use 'tuviera' in the 'if' (Si) part of the sentence, followed by the conditional tense (tendría, viajaría, etc.): 'Si yo tuviera [money], yo compraría [car].'

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using the Past Indicative instead of Subjunctive

Mistake: "No creí que él tuvo tiempo."

Correction: No creí que él tuviera tiempo. (I didn't believe that he had time.) The verb 'creer' (to believe) in the past triggers the subjunctive in the following clause.

Confusing Tuviera and Tendría

Mistake: "Si yo tendría dinero, compraría un coche."

Correction: Si yo tuviera dinero, compraría un coche. (If I had money, I would buy a car.) The 'if' clause in hypothetical statements needs the past subjunctive (tuviera), not the conditional (tendría).

⭐ Usage Tips

The Key Indicator: Doubt or Wish

Remember to use 'tuviera' when the first part of the sentence expresses doubt, emotion, or a wish related to something someone possessed in the past. Look for past trigger phrases like 'Me alegró que...' (It made me happy that...).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: tuviera

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'tuviera' to express a hypothetical situation?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

tener(to have) - verb

tendría(I/he/she would have) - verb

tenedor(holder / fork) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'tuviera' the same as 'tuviese'?

Yes, in modern Spanish, 'tuviera' and 'tuviese' are interchangeable forms of the imperfect subjunctive (past subjunctive) and mean exactly the same thing. 'Tuviera' is generally more common.

How do I know if 'tuviera' means 'I had' or 'he/she had'?

You need context! Since 'yo' (I) and 'él/ella/usted' (he/she/formal you) share the same verb ending ('tuviera'), the subject (or the context of who is being talked about) must be clear from the rest of the sentence or conversation.