Past unreal conditions: si hubiera…

B2

Grammar path · Lesson 67 of 86 · Stage B2 · The past subjunctive

This structure lets you talk about what could have happened but did not: regrets, reproaches, or imagining a different outcome. Both the condition and the result are in the past, finished and impossible to change. The if-clause uses si + hubiera + past participle and the result clause uses habría + past participle: Si hubiera estudiado, habría aprobado. Learners often mix it up with si + tuviera, which describes an unreal present. Ask yourself: is this about now, or is it already over? If it is over, use hubiera.

Practise this lesson · 10 sentences

Form

AffirmativeSi + hubiera + participio, habría + participio
Si hubiera estudiado más, habría aprobado el examen.If I had studied more, I would have passed the exam.
NegativeSi no + hubiera + participio, no + habría + participio
Si no hubiera llovido, no habríamos cancelado el paseo.If it hadn't rained, we wouldn't have canceled the outing.
Question¿Qué + habría + participio + si + hubiera + participio?
¿Qué habrías hecho si hubieras perdido el vuelo?What would you have done if you had missed the flight?
Result clause firsthabría + participio + si + hubiera + participio
Te habría llamado si hubiera sabido tu número.I would have called you if I had known your number.

When to use it

Regrets about the past

Use it when you regret doing or not doing something. The real outcome already happened; you are only imagining a different one.

Si hubiera salido antes, no habría perdido el tren.If I had left earlier, I wouldn't have missed the train.
Si te hubiera escuchado, no habría cometido ese error.If I had listened to you, I wouldn't have made that mistake.

Imagining another outcome, blaming or thanking

Use it to speculate about how things would have gone if the past had been different, or to blame or thank someone. The phrase si no hubiera sido por is very common when thanking.

Si me hubieras avisado, te habría ayudado con la mudanza.If you had told me, I would have helped you with the move.
Si no hubiera sido por ti, nunca habría terminado la carrera.If it hadn't been for you, I would never have finished my degree.

Past condition, present result

When something that did not happen in the past affects the present, keep si + hubiera but use the simple conditional in the result clause, often with ahora.

Si hubiera aceptado ese trabajo, ahora viviría en Monterrey.If I had accepted that job, I would be living in Monterrey now.
Si no hubiera comido tanto, ahora no me sentiría tan mal.If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't feel so bad now.

Si + pluperfect subjunctive → conditional perfect

past, did not happensi hubiera estudiado, habría aprobado
past cause, present resultsi hubiera estudiado, ahora tendría trabajo

Signal words

sisi no hubiera sido porde haberlo sabido

Don't confuse it with

Unreal conditions: si + imperfect subjunctive

Choose si + hubiera + past participle when the condition belongs to the past and did not happen: 'Si hubiera tenido dinero, habría viajado' (I did not have money back then). Use si + tuviera only for an unreal present or future: 'Si tuviera dinero, viajaría' (I do not have money now).

Frequently asked questions

Can I use hubiera in both clauses?

Yes. Si hubiera sabido, hubiera venido is very common in speech. In formal writing, habría venido is considered more standard.

What is the difference between hubiera and hubiese?

No difference in meaning: Si hubiese estudiado and Si hubiera estudiado are identical. In Latin America, hubiera is more common in everyday speech.

Can I say si habría?

No. After si, use only hubiera + past participle; habría belongs only in the result clause.

Is this the Spanish third conditional?

Yes. It matches English If I had known, I would have come: Si hubiera sabido, habría venido.

How do I conjugate hubiera?

Yo hubiera, tú hubieras, él hubiera, nosotros hubiéramos, ustedes hubieran, then add the participle: hubiéramos llegado.

What if the result is in the present?

Keep si + hubiera in the if-clause and use the simple conditional in the result: Si hubiera dormido, ahora no estaría cansado.

More in Sentences and connectors

Question words: qué, dónde, cuándo…A1Negation: no, nunca, nada, nadieA1Real conditions: si + presentB1Relative clauses: que, quien, dondeB1Reported speech: dice que…B1Linking words: pero, sin embargo, por esoB1Unreal conditions: si + imperfect subjunctiveB2Reported speech in the past: dijo que…B2Relative clauses with prepositions: en el que, con quienB2Cause and concession: como, ya que, a pesar de queB2Sequence of tensesC1Other conditional forms: a no ser que, de + infinitive, con tal de queC1Result and purpose: de modo que, a fin de queC1
← Grammar pathNext lesson · B2Subjunctive in relative clauses: busco a alguien que…