Using como si with El Pretérito Imperfecto Subjuntivo in Spanish
In Spanish we can use:
Como si + El Pretérito Imperfecto Subjuntivo
to express an ironic reproach.
For example:
Pedro dice que yo soy muy fea. Como si él fuera muy guapo...Pedro says that I'm very ugly. It's not as if he is very handsome...
All this is said ironically. What the speaker is pointing out is that:
1. How dare Pedro say that I am not pretty if he is not handsome at all.
2. She is not cooperating either!
3. He can't even fry an egg, so why is he telling her that?
This is when we are referring to a completed action in the past, El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo may also be used with como si. For example:
This structure is very similar to Using Ni que + subjuntivo in Spanish
See also:
- Using the imperfect subjunctive after the conjunction como si in Spanish (subordinate manner clauses)
- Using the pluperfect subjunctive after the conjunction como si (subordinate manner clauses)
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Examples and resources
Pedro dice que yo soy muy fea. Como si él fuera muy guapo...Pedro says that I'm very ugly. It's not as if he is very handsome...
-No estás poniendo mucho de tu parte. -Como si tú cooperases mucho...-You are not participating much. -Well, you're not cooperating much either...
