A storybook illustration of a person sitting peacefully on a grassy hill, looking contemplative. Above their head, a large, translucent thought bubble contains a single, stylized open human eye, symbolizing hypothetical or conditional sight.

viera

VYEH-rah

I saw (hypothetically)?used after phrases like 'if' or 'even if',he/she/it saw (hypothetically)?used after phrases like 'if' or 'even if',I were to see / I might see?used to express wishes or suggestions about the past

Also:I would see?often interchangeable with the 'viese' form in some regions

Quick Reference

infinitivever

gerundviendo

past Participlevisto

📝 In Action

Si yo viera la película, te diría si es buena.

If I saw the movie, I would tell you if it's good.

Me gustaría que ella viera el problema desde mi perspectiva.

I would like her to see the problem from my perspective.

¿Qué harías si tu jefe te viera haciendo eso?

What would you do if your boss saw you doing that?

Word Connections

Synonyms

mirara (I/he/she looked (hypothetically))
notara (I/he/she noticed (hypothetically))

Common Collocations

Ojalá viera – If only I/he/she saw
Si yo viera – If I were to see

💡 Grammar Points

The Hypothetical Past

This form ('viera') is essential for talking about things that didn't happen but could have, usually after 'Si' (If). It sets up a conditional sentence.

The 'viese' Alternative

Spanish has two forms for this tense (viera and viese). They mean exactly the same thing and are interchangeable, though 'viera' is generally more common across Latin America.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Mixing Up Tenses in 'If' Statements

Mistake: "Si yo *veía* la película, te diría..."

Correction: Si yo *viera* la película, te diría... (When using 'Si' for a hypothetical situation, you must pair the 'viera' form with the conditional form 'diría').

⭐ Usage Tips

Using 'Ojalá'

Use 'viera' after 'Ojalá' (I hope/If only) to express a strong wish or regret about something that happened or didn't happen in the past: 'Ojalá viera la verdad' (If only he saw the truth).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: viera

Question 1 of 1

Which of these situations requires the use of 'viera'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

ver(to see) - verb

vista(sight, view) - noun

visible(visible) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'viera' the same as 'viese'?

Yes, they are two interchangeable forms of the imperfect subjunctive conjugation of 'ver' (to see). You can use either one, though 'viera' is often preferred in the Americas.

If 'viera' is used, what tense should the second part of the sentence be in?

When 'viera' (the imperfect subjunctive) is used to set up a conditional clause (e.g., 'Si yo viera...'), the main result clause must be in the conditional tense (e.g., '...te diría').