about subjunctive

Ελισάβετ Α.C1Kwiziq community member

about subjunctive

Hola Inma,

I don't understand the use of subjunctive here:  "Nunca hubiera pensado". Why not había pensado ?

Un saludo coldial

Ελισάβετ

Asked 3 years ago
InmaNative Spanish expert teacher in Kwiziq

Hola Ελισάβετ

In this sentence from the dictation:  "Nunca hubiera pensado que una librería tuviese una sección de libros..." we mean "I would have never thought that a bookshop had a section..." - It's using the pluperfect subjunctive as an alternative to "nunca habría pensado...". This use of hubiera is common in this sort of sentences as an alternative. 

You also see this usage in hypothetical sentences of this type:

Si hubieras sido más simpático ella no se hubiera/habría ido. 

If you had been nicer she wouldn't have left.

I hope this helped.

Inma

 

Ελισάβετ Α. asked:

about subjunctive

Hola Inma,

I don't understand the use of subjunctive here:  "Nunca hubiera pensado". Why not había pensado ?

Un saludo coldial

Ελισάβετ

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