Irregular Subjunctive Ending?

Question

I have noticed from time to time what appears to be an irregular rule or construction for forming second-person subjunctive verbs.

A most recent example:

Yo quería que tú me enseñases. (I want you to teach me).

I understand the need for the subjunctive here, but why add the extra -es on the end? Following the basic rule, "enseñes" would have been my assumption.

Can anyone tell me if this is a rule that I was not aware of? Perhaps verbs ending in -ñar just need to add the extra -es on the subjunctive form while leaving the last vowel in the root in the normal indicative form?

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

Answer 1

Answer 2

Did anybody look it up in our verb conjugation table?

It's right there under "Imperfect Subjunctive #2".

http://www.spanishdict.com/conjugate/enseñar

The #2 form of the imperfect subjunctive means exactly the same thing as the #1 form. As I understand it, it's primarily used in fancy literary situations and is uncommon in day to day use.

Answer 3

That´? the imperfect subjunctive I think. It? the exact same as the "ra" form, apparently they?e both common in Spain and South America and anyone I ask says they can´t sense any difference.

yo -se comprase vendiese tuviese fuese

tú -ses comprases vendieses tuvieses fueses

él/ella/ustedes -se comprase vendiese tuviese fuese

nosotros/-as -semos comprásemos vendiésemos tuviésemos fuésemos

vosotros/-as -seis compraseis vendieseis tuvieseis fueseis

ellos/ellas/ustedes -sen

comprasen vendiesen tuviesen fuesen

(conjugations from the book "Intermediate Spanish A Grammar and Workbook" published by Routledge.)

Oh I should specifiy the imperfect subjunctive is the "past" subjunctive, and it's used in conditionals too, like in your example. you can look at the other endings in the conjugation section of SpanishDict, I find them much easier than these ones! - rabbitwho, Jul 10, 2011

Answer 4

For the imperfect subjunctive, I would say:

(Yo) quería que (tú) me enseñaras. (I wanted you to teach me.)

I have never seen that second version of the imperfect subjunctive. Perhaps it is literary?

Answer 5

According to Paralee in lesson 3.11 - Hopes and Dreams with the Imperfect Subjunctive:

1) Form the imperfect subjunctive stem using the 3rd person plural form of the preterit.

2) All imperfect subjunctive verbs use the same endings.

3) The imperfect subjunctive have 2 different ending sets.

4) The -ra endings ( that is: -ra, -ras, -ra, - ramos, - rais, and -ran) are common in all Spanish speaking countires.

5) The second is used in texts in Spain. ( that is; -se, -ses, -se, -semos, -seis, and -sen)

Answer 6

Look at this post

I think this form is more common in Spain,as Spainards I have talked to used it.

Yes, I see the se endings quite often in a series of books that I am reading translated by Spaniards. - 0074b507, Jul 10, 2011