Imperfecto del Subjuntivo

[Hombre-Araña]

Existe una diferencia entre las dos formas del Imperfecto del Subjuntivo?

Ex.
Yo no creía que caminara demasiado lejos.

O...

Yo no creía que caminase demasiado lejos.

Significan la misma cosa?

[Alfonso]

Originally Posted by Hombre-Araña

Existe una diferencia entre las dos formas del Imperfecto del Subjuntivo?

Ex.
Yo no creía que caminara demasiado lejos.

O...

Yo no creía que caminase demasiado lejos.

Significan la misma cosa?

Significan exactamente lo mismo. Son evoluciones de distintas formas del latín que convergen en el mismo tiempo verbal, el imperfecto de subjuntivo: amara o amase.
Del mismo modo, el pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo: hubiera o hubiese amado.

[Amanpour]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

Significan exactamente lo mismo. Son evoluciones de distintas formas del latín que convergen en el mismo tiempo verbal, el imperfecto de subjuntivo: amara o amase.
Del mismo modo, el pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo: hubiera o hubiese amado.

I´ve given up on the spanish subjunctive..., and my tutor has equally given up on me.
Try as I might, I can´t seem to learn any of it.
Must be old age.

[Marsopa]

Well don't give up. Just use it. It's used so often that you'll have at least a fifty percent chance of being right! And it's all in your head anyway, and no one can tell you what you are thinking...Once I got over my subjuctophobia life got a lot easier! LOL

[Alfonso]

Originally Posted by Amanpour

I´ve given up on the spanish subjunctive..., and my tutor has equally given up on me.
Try as I might, I can´t seem to learn any of it.


Must be old age.

I recommend not to think about subjunctive as it was a piece of wood. Think that you have to use it after, for example, this expressions:

• Quiero que...
• Me gusta que...
• No pienso/creo que... (only in the negative form).

All of these forms go or can go with the present subjunctive. So, what's the difficulty? Start by practising these expressions with the present subjunctive. And don't give up!

[CrOtALiTo]

The word Give up! meaning Abandonar.?

[Marsopa]

That's what I meant to say, Alfonso, that it isn't a rigid thing, and to just "play" with it. And that often there is no right or wrong, but it's all in your head. So, good advice.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

The word Give up! meaning Abandonar.?

Does the phrase to give up mean abandonar?
Yes (also darse por vencido).

[Tomisimo]

En cuanto a la pregunta original, significan lo mismo, pero su uso puede ser un poco distinto. En mi opinión, fuera se usa más que fuese, y fuese se oye un poco más poético, literario etc.

Tengo una pregunta para los hablantes nativos- ¿Cuál sería más usual?

Me dijo que entrara a las diez.
Me dijo que entrase a las diez.

[CrOtALiTo]

Rusty, Why do you say this sentence (I meant to say), I know what the past of mean is meant: Decir, dijo, but why do you use the word say too, I don't understand that phrase, could you explain me with more detail.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

Rusty, Why do you say this sentence (I meant to say)? I know that the past tense form of mean is meant: Decir, dijo, but why do you use the word say too? I don't understand that phrase. Could you explain it to me in more detail?

I meant to say = I wanted to say = Quería/Quise decir

We say 'I meant to say' more frequently than we say 'I wanted to say', but they are identical phrases. They both mean 'quería/quise decir'.

Don't confuse 'to mean' (significar/querer decir) with 'to mean to say'. They are not the same. The first example is a simple verb. The second example is a phrasal verb; the two verbs function together and have a specific meaning.

[Alfonso]

Originally Posted by Tomisimo

En cuanto a la pregunta original, significan lo mismo, pero su uso puede ser un poco distinto. En mi opinión, fuera se usa más que fuese, y fuese se oye un poco más poético, literario etc.

Tengo una pregunta para los hablantes nativos- ¿Cuál sería más usual?

Me dijo que entrara a las diez.
Me dijo que entrase a las diez.

For me it's absolutely the same. Of course, if you talk about poetry, one or other will be chosen depending on the sound needed, but very few people speaks poetically everyday.

[Tomisimo]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

For me it's absolutely the same. Of course, if you talk about poetry, one or other will be chosen depending on the sound needed, but very few people speaks poetically everyday.

Cool. I'm going to start using the -ase subjunctive more

[Alfonso]

Originally Posted by Tomisimo

Cool. I'm going to start using the -ase subjunctive more

-ase / -iese, I hope, .

[Tomisimo]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

-ase / -iese, I hope, .

¡Claro!

[Rusty]

David, will Mexicans look at you funny when you wax 'poetic'? I found that most the people in Central America didn't readily accept it.

[CrOtALiTo]

Ok, I meant to say it too.

[Tomisimo]

Originally Posted by Rusty

David, will Mexicans look at you funny when you wax 'poetic'? I found that most the people in Central America didn't readily accept it.

Probably. I have heard the alternate imperfect subjunctive in Mexico a handful of times and I remember because it's such a rare occurrence.

[Elaina]

stupid question alert.......stupid question alert........stupid question alert!!

Rusty and David, what do you mean "wax poetic"?

[Tomisimo]

To wax poetic, as in "to get all poetic". Or don't you use that in the Midwest?