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Tense guide
Imperfecto progresivo del subjuntivo (ra) (Past Progressive Subjunctive (ra))

Language: Spanish
Tense:
Person:

Introduction

This verb form is used to talk about an action that was happening or was in progress in the past. You use it when the main idea of the sentence involves a wish, doubt, emotion, or an "as if" comparison. It emphasizes the continuous nature of the past action from a personal or uncertain point of view.

You use this form to talk about what you wanted, hoped, or preferred someone else was doing at a particular moment in the past.

Yo quería que tú estuvieras escuchando.
(I wanted you to be listening.)
Mi madre esperaba que nosotros estuviéramos durmiendo cuando ella llegó.
(My mother hoped we were sleeping when she arrived.)
El profesor pidió que los alumnos estuvieran prestando atención.
(The teacher asked that the students be paying attention.)
Preferiría que no estuvieras haciendo tanto ruido.
(I would prefer that you weren't making so much noise.)

This form is used to express doubt or denial that an action was in progress in the past.

Dudaba que él estuviera diciendo la verdad.
(I doubted that he was telling the truth.)
No creía que ellos estuvieran viviendo juntos.
(I didn't believe they were living together.)
No era cierto que la empresa estuviera perdiendo dinero.
(It wasn't true that the company was losing money.)

You can use this form to share a personal feeling or an opinion about an action that was happening.

Me sorprendió que estuviera lloviendo en el desierto.
(It surprised me that it was raining in the desert.)
Era una lástima que el equipo estuviera perdiendo.
(It was a shame that the team was losing.)
Me molestó que ellos estuvieran hablando durante la película.
(It bothered me that they were talking during the movie.)

This form is very common after the phrase "como si" (as if) to describe something by comparing it to an imaginary, ongoing action.

Ella me miró como si yo estuviera mintiendo.
(She looked at me as if I were lying.)
Él corría como si un perro lo estuviera persiguiendo.
(He was running as if a dog were chasing him.)
Gastas dinero como si estuvieras trabajando en un banco.
(You spend money as if you were working at a bank.)

You can use this form after words like "para que" (so that) or "antes de que" (before) to talk about the purpose or timing of an ongoing action.

Te di el mapa para que no estuvieras buscando la dirección por horas.
(I gave you the map so that you wouldn't be looking for the address for hours.)
Terminamos la reunión antes de que el jefe estuviera llegando.
(We finished the meeting before the boss was arriving.)

Be careful: This form is not used very often in daily conversation. Spanish speakers frequently use a simpler form (for example, "hablaras" instead of "estuvieras hablando") to say the same thing. This form adds special emphasis on the action being in progress, but the simpler version is usually enough.

Further explanations

Conjugation patterns