imperfect subjunctive!
hi
in lesson 3.11 there s an example: Queriamos que nuestros hijos recibieran la mansion and in the translation she says We wanted our children to get the mansion if queriamos is translated as we wanted in this example so why don t we use just preterit instead of conditional? if the translation is true it just seems as an example of past. How is it related to imperfect subjunctive, hopes, dreams? But i m not sure, if Queriamos is in imperfect so what s the difference between preterit and imperfect?
25 Answers
Actually, it's the imperfect. The conditional is "querríamos". An alternate translation might be: "We wanted that our children should get the mansion." That's a little awkward, but it shows that maybe the kids didn't get the big house.
It's related to hopes, because we hoped (wished, wanted) that our first generation descendants might obtain the domicile. There is some element of doubt, so the subjunctive applies.
I hope the offspring got the estate.
Queriamos - imperfect tense
recibieran - imperfect subjunctive
There's no conditional here. Are you asking why not preterite (quisimos) ? Well, that's a good question and I've never really found a satisfactory answer to that. I think that we use the imperfect because it implies an extended period of time in the past (queríamos) and not a specific moment in the past (quisimos)
Why "recibieran" ? As far as I know we always use subjunctive after "querer que" because of the "desire", "wish" or whatever we call it. Because the sentence refers to the past it must be imperfect subjunctive.
Does this make it any clearer? Is this what you wanted to know?
Ojalá que ganara un million dólares mañana. "I hope that I win a million dollars tomorrow."
I agree with Marianne, this is probably the best translation of the phrase.
However, I would say "I wish I could win a million dollars tommorow". It's not an exact translation, but to me it conveys the sentiment and how the sentence is supposed to sound.
This sentence has a future sense, same in English. I wish that I won a million dollars tomorrow. It has a future sense.
I don't think this makes sense. I wish cannot be used with a future verb unless the verb follows either would or could. Otherwise this sentence can only be said with I hope "I hope that I win a million dollars tomorrow.
Some examples of examples of I wish used with could and would in the future:
I wish I could dance with you tonight.
I wish I could sleep until Monday
I wish you would leave me alone.
I wish you could come with me.
Ojalá que ganara un million dolares mañana
So, asduskun , I thought it was obvious by now, that this can be used in the future sense!
This sentence has a future sense, same in English. I wish I won/ I wish I would win a million dollars tomorrow. It has a future sense.
Have a look at this, I think it is very clear.
The imperfect subjnctive has three (main) uses, one of them refers to the past.
can anyone please answer my last question because it s important. When we look at examples like Ojala in which we use imperfect subjunctive the meaning refers to present even to future but Paralee says this at the beginning of the lesson:
so as a result i see that the meaning doesn t have to refer to past to use imperfect subjunctive, right? as in the sentence Ojala que ganara un million dolares manana Is this true?
2- Pudiera mostrarmelo en el mapa? means Could you possibly show me on the map? does this verb pudiera has the meaning for formal you, that is, usted?
We could say in English
We wanted our children to receive the mansion...
this statement in English is more definite in the sense that it conveys a definite desire for the parents saying this to pass on the mansion in their will
However, they could have said: we would have liked (conditional) our children to receive ( ie: inherit) the mansion .. (and this is likely to be followed by ..) .But ... this unfortunately was not possible
The difference in meanings between the two sentances should make it plain that in any language a different tense/mood will communicate a different meaning
Please see my question above i just edited and as for patch's answer: i think that both dependent and independent clauses must refer to past to use imperfect subjunctive, isn t it? for example, as in my last example :
PLUS Quisiera las alcachofas con gambas where is the past meaning in this sentence if imperfect refers to past? Don t we use conditional for polite request like Querría las alcachofas con gambas?
2- Pudiera mostrarmelo en el mapa? means Could you possibly show me on the map? does this verb pudiera has the meaning for formal you, that is, usted?
Agradezco que hicieras una tarta de queso
I am thankful (now, in the present) that you made (in the past) a cheescake.
thank you all for the answers it s clearer than before now but i ve just seen another example: Agradezco que hicieras una tarta de queso so if we use imperfect subjunctive in the past related topics, in this example there s agradezco does it refer to past? i don t think so so if it doesn t refer to past how can we say hicieras? PLUS Quisiera las alcachofas con gambas where is the past meaning in this sentence if imperfect refers to past? Don t we use conditional for polite request like Querría las alcachofas con gambas?
Agradezco que hicieras una tarta de queso
The quote below is clipped from an article on subjunctive usage. I just want to call you attention to the the exceptions, specifically, exception number 2.
Sequence of tenses, or when to use which subjunctive:
. If the governing verb is in the present, future, future perfect tense or is a command and if the subjunctive is required in a subordinate clause, use the present subjunctive for a simultaneous or future action or the present perfect subjunctive for a previous or already completed action. [Exceptions: 1) after ojalá when used as I wish and after como si use one of the two past subjunctives; 2) the imperfect subjunctive can be used after one of the “present time” tenses where the imperfect indicative would have been used if the indicative mood would have been used].
Dudo que vengan.
I doubt that they are coming/will come. [The subjunctive is required after a verb of doubt; the governing verb is in the present tense. The present subjunctive is used for a simultaneous or future event.]
Dudo que hayan venido.
I doubt that they came/have come. ``[The subjunctive is required after a verb of doubt; the governing verb is in the present tense. The present perfect subjunctive is used for a previous event.]
Later note:
This link has an explanation of the difference between the past and present subjunctive with "Ojala que" at the bottom of the page. The discussion of the sequence of tenses at the top of the page explains that the imperfect subjunctive is used with the conditional tense even if it refers to the future.
Definitely Subjunctive, It falls under the letter W in the W.E.I.R.D.O. acronym because querer is similar to esperar or desear.
