tuvieras
too-VYAIR-ahs
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Si tuvieras un deseo, ¿cuál sería?
B2If you had one wish, what would it be?
Me gustaría que tuvieras la oportunidad de conocerla.
B2I would like for you to have the chance to meet her.
Era importante que tuvieras esa información antes de la reunión.
C1It was important that you had that information before the meeting.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'If' Rule for Hypotheses
When you use 'Si' (if) to talk about an unlikely or impossible situation, the verb immediately following 'Si' must be in this special form ('tuvieras'), and the result must use the conditional ('tendrías').
Tú vs. Usted
'Tuvieras' is strictly the informal 'you' (tú). If you were speaking formally, you would use 'tuviera' (Si usted tuviera...).
The Irregular Stem
Notice how 'tuvieras' uses the stem 'tuv-' instead of 'ten-'. This irregular pattern is used for many past tenses of the verb 'tener' (to have).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing Tenses in 'If' Clauses
Mistake: "Si tienes dinero, comprarías un coche. (Mixing Present Indicative and Conditional)"
Correction: Si tuvieras dinero, comprarías un coche. (Use the special past form, 'tuvieras', for hypothetical situations.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Choosing Between Forms
The imperfect subjunctive has two correct forms: 'tuvieras' and 'tuvieses'. They mean the exact same thing. 'Tuvieras' is generally more common across the Spanish-speaking world.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: tuvieras
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'tuvieras' to describe an unreal or hypothetical situation?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
¿Qué significa 'tuvieras'?
'Tuvieras' is the verb 'tener' (to have) conjugated for the informal 'you' (tú) in the Imperfect Subjunctive tense. It is used to talk about wishes, doubts, emotions, or hypothetical situations in the past or present.
Why does 'tener' have such an irregular stem ('tuv-')?
The irregularity comes from the verb's history in Latin. It inherited a strong, irregular past stem that became 'tuv-' in Spanish. You see this same stem in forms like 'tuve' (I had) and 'tuvieron' (they had).