Verbal sentence translation

Question

Talking about professions and careers I have been given the following sentence:

¿Qué te hubiera gustado ser a ti?

I get the general meaning but am I correct in my translation:

What would you had liked to be?

What would you have liked to be?

The second one makes more sense to me but the use of hubiera makes me think of Had.

Thanks for any guidance

Answer 1

I would go with the 2nd interpretation. The pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo is often translated was would have or had

Here are some examples:

1. To express a wish, after ojalá que, that something had happened differently in the past.

• Ojalá que hubiera ido. I wish he had come.
• Ojalá que hubiéramos podido verlo. If only we could have seen it.

1. In conditional sentences (si clauses).

• Si hubiera sabido, hubiera ido contigo. If I had known, I would have gone with you.
• ¿Hubieras comprado el libro si te hubiera dicho? Would you have bought the book if I had told you?

So many thanks. I had overlooked the fact that pluscuamperfecto de subjunctivo could translate in boith ways.Other examples also very helpful. Notes are updated! - caza, Aug 24, 2010

Answer 2

No doubt What would you have liked to be is the correct one.

would+had+participle is not grammatically correct.

No I know but my translation of Past perfect subjunctive had not been correct but thanks. - caza, Aug 24, 2010

Answer 3

I would say, "what would you have liked to be or to have been ".

Thanks. I had that down as a possibility as well. - caza, Aug 24, 2010