Preterite vs Imperfect - Más Complicado

Question

This sentence is a part of my homework, and the translation is pretty difícil.

Él sentía que (pertenecer) a ese lugar, al centro de la selva; a cualquiera que huberia dicho lo contrario lo huberia convencido a la fuerza. Era una persona instintiva.

Now what I am getting from this sentence is that, A guy felt that to belong to that place, the center of the jungle; he may might had to say the opposite and he might had to convince the strength. He is an instinctive person.

This sentence is really making no sense to me, the pluscuamperfecto is really throwing me off, and I can't determine what this sentence is really getting at. Any help?

I think it should be hubiera instead of huberia - that might be putting you off because the conditional is habría not hubría :) - Kiwi-Girl, Sep 21, 2011

and if you want to say 'might' then the subjunctive works well there - Kiwi-Girl, Sep 21, 2011

Answer 1

The part of the sentence after the semicolon means the following: anyone who might have told him otherwise, he would have convinced by force. Rather an odd sentence. If you are confused in general about the subjunctive or the pluscuamperfecto, let me know. It looks like you have to conjugate the verb pertenecer.

I have an idea about the pluscuamperfecto, its just I cant decide between Preterite or Imperfect in this strange sentence. What would be your guess? - JohnnyK, Sep 21, 2011

he would have convinced or he might have - subj? - Kiwi-Girl, Sep 21, 2011

Look at the verb 'sentía' for a hint. It's in the imperfect, so we know we're not dealing with a person who felt it for a specified period of time and then stopped feeling it. His belonging goes along with his action of feeling, the belonging is taking... - MacFadden, Sep 21, 2011

place in the same undefined period of time in the past as the feeling. - MacFadden, Sep 21, 2011

Answer 2

The pluscuamperfecto del subjuntivo is often translated like the conditional perfect of the indicative mood. Try "would have" rather than "had"' and see if it makes any more sense.

Si hubiera sabido, hubiera ido contigo. If I had known, I would have gone with you.

Notice how MacFadden translated "hubiera convencido" as would have convinced.

(same thing with the past tense subjunctive; it is often translated as the conditional in the indicative mood.) [compara =would buy or bought]

Answer 3

If your exercise is to pick between the imp and the pret wouldn't the first bit be:

He felt that he belonged to this place .....

and your job is to choose between perteneció and pertencía

• unless I'm missing something which is not too far outside the realms of possibility je je

It would, indeed. The choice should be obvious and everything after the initial clause apparently has nothing to do with the assignment. - samdie, Sep 22, 2011