Como si + subjunctive

C1

Grammar path · Lesson 80 of 86 · Stage C1 · Subjunctive nuances

You use como si to say someone does something 'as if' an untrue situation were real: talking as if they were the boss, acting as if nothing had happened. The key rule: after como si you only use the imperfect subjunctive (fuera, tuviera, supiera) for something happening at the same time, or hubiera + participle for something that happened before, even when the main verb is in the present. For example: Habla como si fuera el jefe. The most common mistake is applying the usual subjunctive tense sequence and using the present subjunctive: como si sea is always wrong.

Practise this lesson · 9 sentences

Form

Affirmativeverbo principal + como si + imperfecto de subjuntivo
Gasta dinero como si fuera millonario.He spends money as if he were a millionaire.
Negativeverbo principal + como si + no + imperfecto de subjuntivo
Me habló como si no me conociera.He talked to me as if he didn't know me.
Earlier actionverbo principal + como si + hubiera + participio
Estaba agotado, como si hubiera corrido un maratón.He was exhausted, as if he had run a marathon.

When to use it

Describing how someone acts or looks

Compares an action with an unreal situation happening at the same time. The verb after como si stays in the imperfect subjunctive even if the sentence is in the present.

Habla como si fuera el dueño de la empresa.He talks as if he were the owner of the company.
Me miró como si no me conociera.She looked at me as if she didn't know me.

Comparing with an imagined earlier event

When the imagined event happened before the main action, use hubiera + participle.

Estás pálido, como si hubieras visto un fantasma.You're pale, as if you had seen a ghost.
Se comporta como si nada hubiera pasado.He behaves as if nothing had happened.

Telling someone to pretend

Hacer como si or actuar como si is used to ask or advise someone to pretend something.

Haz como si estuvieras en tu casa.Make yourself at home.
Actúen como si no supieran nada.Act as if you didn't know anything.

Signal words

como si

Don't confuse it with

Imperfect subjunctive

Como si is one of the contexts that always requires the imperfect subjunctive, regardless of the main verb's tense. Other subjunctive clauses follow tense sequence (quiero que vengas / quería que vinieras), but after como si it is always fuera, tuviera or hubiera + participle.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use the present subjunctive after como si?

No. After como si you only use the imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive, so say Habla como si fuera experto, never como si sea.

What is the difference between como si fuera and como si hubiera sido?

Como si fuera refers to something imagined at the same time as the main action; como si hubiera sido refers to something imagined as having happened before.

Can I use the -se form, as in como si fuese?

Yes, como si fuese is correct and means the same as como si fuera, but in Latin America the -ra form is far more common.

Is the indicative ever used after como si?

Not in standard Spanish: como si is always followed by a past subjunctive form.

What does ¡Como si...! mean on its own?

It is a sarcastic exclamation meaning 'as if...!', for example ¡Como si no lo supieras! means 'As if you didn't know!'.

More in The subjunctive

Present subjunctive: formsB1Subjunctive after wishes: quiero queB1Subjunctive after emotions: me alegra queB1Subjunctive after doubt and denial: no creo queB1Subjunctive after impersonal expressions: es importante queB1Cuando + subjunctive (future time clauses)B1Para que + subjunctiveB1OjaláB1Imperfect subjunctiveB2Pluperfect subjunctiveB2Subjunctive in relative clauses: busco a alguien que…B2Aunque + indicative or subjunctiveB2El hecho de que + subjunctiveC1Decir que + indicative or subjunctiveC1
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