Where are the errors here?

[hola]

si fuere de vivir en california, mi vida seria mejor

[literacola]

Si fuera vivir en california, mi vida sería mejor.

This is my attempt..I am not sure about the ¨de¨ before vivir though, and I am still learning so you should wait until a native speaker or one of the more advanced members posts here :)

[Rusty]

Si fuera a vivir en California, mi vida sería mejor.Corrections above.

[literacola]

Corrections above.

Thanks Rusty. Can you explain the need for the "a" in front some infinitives? I don't really understand at all.

[Rusty]

In this case, it was because of the verb that preceded it.
Ir is always followed by the preposition a.

Many Spanish verbs must be followed by a preposition, and there isn't always a direct correlation to the English preposition, if any.
For example:
aprender a = to learn to
ayudar a = to help
consistir en = to consist of
contar con = to count on
dudar en = to hesitate to
esforzarse por = to make an effort to
interesarse en = to be interested in
ir a = to go to
optar por = to opt for
pensar en = to think about
soñar con = to dream about

Some Spanish verbs are not followed by a preposition, where the English equivalent has one.
For example:
aconsejar = to advise to
acordar = to agree to
buscar = to search for
esperar = to wait for, to hope to/for
intentar = to try to
pensar = to intend to
poder = to be able to
prohibir = to prohibit from
prometer = to promise to
querer = to want to

One thing I've mentioned in other posts is that the infinitive in Spanish does not really have the automatic 'to' in front of it that our Spanish teachers have taught us. Infinitives that follow the verbs in the first group above will have a preceding preposition. Infinitives that follow the verbs in the second group above will not have a preceding preposition. (Neither group above is exhaustive, by the way. There are MANY verbs that fall into both categories.) My advice, put as much emphasis on learning the preposition that follows a verb as you would put on learning what article goes with a noun.

Think of the infinitive as just the verb itself. Don't put that automatic 'to' in front of it (because it really isn't there!).

[literacola]

In this case, it was because of the verb that preceded it.
Ir is always followed by the preposition a.

Many Spanish verbs must be followed by a preposition, and there isn't always a direct correlation to the English preposition, if any.
For example:
aprender a = to learn to
ayudar a = to help
consistir en = to consist of
contar con = to count on
dudar en = to hesitate to
esforzarse por = to make an effort to
interesarse en = to be interested in
ir a = to go to
optar por = to opt for
pensar en = to think about
soñar con = to dream about

Some Spanish verbs are not followed by a preposition, where the English equivalent has one.
For example:
aconsejar = to advise to
acordar = to agree to
buscar = to search for
esperar = to wait for, to hope to/for
intentar = to try to
pensar = to intend to
poder = to be able to
prohibir = to prohibit from
prometer = to promise to
querer = to want to

One thing I've mentioned in other posts is that the infinitive in Spanish does not really have the automatic 'to' in front of it that our Spanish teachers have taught us. Infinitives that follow the verbs in the first group above will have a preceding preposition. Infinitives that follow the verbs in the second group above will not have a preceding preposition. (Neither group above is exhaustive, by the way. There are MANY verbs that fall into both categories.) My advice, put as much emphasis on learning the preposition that follows a verb as you would put on learning what article goes with a noun.

Think of the infinitive as just the verb itself. Don't put that automatic 'to' in front of it (because it really isn't there!).

I am sorry. I thought he was trying to say "If I were to live in California, my life would be better."

Thank you

[Rusty]

I am sorry. I thought he was trying to say "If I were to live in California, my life would be better."

Thank youYou're welcome.
if I were to live = si viviera

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Maybe "Si me fuera a vivir a California, mi vida sería mejor".

[Rusty]

Maybe "Si me fuera a vivir a California, mi vida sería mejor".:thumbsup: I like this even better.

[CrOtALiTo]

si fuere de vivir en california, mi vida seria mejor

I have other idea.

Si fuese a vivir a california, mi vida podria ser mejor.

I think that choice also would can sound better.

[laepelba]

You're welcome.
if I were to live = si viviera

So then I'm confused. What does the original sentence say if not "If I were to live in California..."??

[Rusty]

The way it was corrected - si fuera a vivir - it means if I were to go to live.

[laepelba]

OH! So it's rather close in meaning, but not literally.... Thanks, Rusty!

[hola]

what i would like to know is, why the imperfect is used (fuera) when i was talking about the future (fuere) "if i "were to live" in california......"

i wasn't talking about past experiences, i was talking in future terms.

thats why i want to know why the imperfect version (fuera) was used, if my intentions were to speak of the future.

[chileno]

what i would like to know is, why the imperfect is used (fuera) when i was talking about the future (fuere) "if i "were to live" in california......"

i wasn't talking about past experiences, i was talking in future terms.

thats why i want to know why the imperfect version (fuera) was used, if my intentions were to speak of the future.

fuere and fuese, are not used as often anymore. I mean hardly used anymore.

[CrOtALiTo]

I can give you some examples with the imperfect version of the modes that you ask us.

Si fuere a vivir a california? (This example is correct but it's not very used besides it sound bad)

Si fuese a vivir a california? (This example is correct but it's not very used besides it sound bad)

Si fuera a vivir a california? (This example is more accurate)

Si fuese a vivir a california. (This example is yet less used but it does not so bad.)


I hope my examples can help you.

[Rusty]

The English phrase 'if I were to live' is subjunctive. The only verb in this phrase is 'live'. It is cast in the subjunctive mood because it references a hypothetical future. The sentence, as a whole, is contrasting perceived reality (a not so good life) with something hypothetical (a better life in the future).

Fuere is the future subjunctive form of ir or ser, not vivir.

The verb viviere means 'I were to live'. However, the future subjunctive is not used in modern Spanish. Its modern-day equivalent is the imperfect subjunctive - viviera or viviese.

If I were to live in California, my life would be better.
= Si viviera/viviese en California, mi vida sería mejor.

Since I saw the ir + infinitive structure in your sentence, I thought you were trying to say If I were to go to live ... . So, I changed fuere (I were to go) to the modern imperfect subjunctive (fuera), and added the preposition which must follow ir.

[hola]

so in my case, being that i wasn't trying to say "if i were to go live....", would the sentence i wrote be correct? (si fuere de vivir en california......)

and for the record, my original intentions were to say "if i were living in california, my life would be better." that's why i put (de vivir).

i also keep forgetting that you said "fuere/fuese" isn't used anymore

i have a question. just because something isn't used anymore, does that or would that make it grammatically incorrect to use it? maybe someone likes the old school way or something. maybe someone likes the classic style. so would it still make it wrong to use it?

and again, if i wasn't trying to say "if i were to go live...", let me know if the sentence i wrote be correct, being now that you know exactly what i was trying to say.

[Rusty]

Hmm, I believe I already said this, but no, your sentence was not correct. Neither the verb 'ser' or the preposition 'de' should have been used. Only the verb vivir should have been used in the main clause.

If I were living in California, my life would be better. (English subjunctive)
If I was living in California, my life would be better. (colloquial English)
= Si viviera/viviese en California, mi vida sería mejor.

Viviera and viviese mean exactly the same thing and are used in spoken Spanish (viviese is used more in Spain, but appears in literary works and poetry used throughout the Spanish-speaking world).

The form that has all but disappeared in spoken Spanish is the future subjunctive (viviere). I doubt you'll hear it used, but it may appear in legal documents and old literature, so you should be able to recognize it. I can't think of a reason you would use it in normal conversation.

[hola]

well often, if not all the time, spanish people say (soy de .......) when they are telling you where they live. so it would be reasonable to assume that if you are talking about where you would like to live, you would use (ser). i guess it turned out i was wrong but that is the reason i went w/ (ser).

and as far as using (de), they say that you can not use the gerund in the middle of a sentence or anywhere unless you use the word (estar). the word (ir) wasn't chosen because i wasn't talking about going to live there. the word (estar) would have been inapplicable there so the only other way to use the gerund is to use it w/ the word (de).

an example would be (dejar de pensar sobre eso). = stop thinking about that.
another example would be (me gusta de vivir por alla) = i like living over there.

these are just my explanations.