If there hadn't been so much ...

[LearningSpanish]

Just a check on a sentence please:

If there hadn't been so much traffic I would have made it in time.

Si no hubiera sido tanto tráfico yo habría llegado a tiempo.

[wrholt]

Originally Posted by LearningSpanish

Just a check on a sentence please:

If there hadn't been so much traffic I would have made it in time.

Si no hubiera sido (or perhaps hubiera habido) tanto tráfico yo habría llegado a tiempo.

"If there hadn't been" is the past perfect of "If there is/are", and "there is/are" is translated by "haber (hay)", not by "ser".

[LearningSpanish]

Ah, lightbulb moment, thank you

So si no hubiera would be if there weren't/wasn't but si no hubiera habido would be if there had not have been?

[wrholt]

Originally Posted by LearningSpanish

Ah, lightbulb moment, thank you

So si no hubiera would be if there weren't/wasn't but si no hubiera habido would be if there had not have been?

no había = there was/were not (indicative), as in "no había tráfico" = "there wasn't any traffic"

no hubiera = there were not (subjunctive) [although some people might still say "there was not"], as in "si no hubiera tráfico" = "if there were no traffic (but in reality there was traffic)"

no había habido = there had not been (indicative), as in "no había habido tráfico" = "there hadn't been any traffic"

no hubiera habido = there had not been (subjunctive), as in "si no hubiera habido tráfico" = "if there hadn't been any traffic (but in reality there was traffic)"

Does this help?

[LearningSpanish]

Yes, great thanx