Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo and conditional perfect

If only I had known — the past unreal conditional.

Last piece of the 'if' system. Type 1 — real (if it rains). Type 2 — present unreal (if I had…). Type 3 — past unreal: 'if I had done…' This is the language of regret, missed opportunities, counterfactual reasoning.

Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo — forms

haber in IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE + past participle. haber in impf. subj.: hubiera, hubieras, hubiera, hubiéramos, hubierais, hubieran (or the -se variant: hubiese, hubieses, hubiese, hubiésemos, hubieseis, hubiesen — interchangeable). + hablado/comido/vivido. Si hubiera comido, si hubieras venido.

Conditional perfect (compuesto)

The main clause of the 'things would have been different' construction. Forms: haber in CONDITIONAL + past participle. habría, habrías, habría, habríamos, habríais, habrían + hablado/comido. Habría venido (I would have come — but didn't). Habríamos comido más (we would have eaten more — but didn't).

Type-3 si — formula

Si + pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo, … conditional perfect. Si hubiera tenido tiempo, habría ido a Madrid = if I'd had time, I would have gone to Madrid (but I didn't have time, didn't go). Si me lo hubieras dicho, te habría ayudado = if you had told me, I would have helped you.

Regret and counterfactuals

This is the language of missed opportunities and regrets. Si hubiera estudiado más, habría aprobado el examen (if I had studied more, I would have passed the exam — but I didn't, and I failed). English equivalents: 'I should have…', 'if I had only known…'. Very emotional construction.

Mixed conditionals

Sometimes the two halves are different types. Si hubiera estudiado, ahora hablaría mejor = if I had studied [in the past], I'd speak better [now]. That's a mix of Types 3 and 2: pluscuamperf. de subj. + conditional simple. Common in conversation.

Tip: '-ra' = '-se'

The -ra (hubiera) and -se (hubiese) forms are completely interchangeable. -ra is more common, -se is more literary. Learn one, recognize both. Same applies to imperfect subjunctive (hablara/hablase): Si hubiera/hubiese venido, habríamos comido — both work.

Examples

Si hubiera tenido dinero, habría comprado la casa.

If I'd had money, I would have bought the house.

Type 3 — past regret.

Si me hubieras llamado, habría venido.

If you had called me, I would have come.

Si hubiera estudiado, ahora hablaría mejor.

If I had studied, I'd speak better now.

Mixed conditional.

Habría sido un día perfecto.

It would have been a perfect day.

Si no hubiera llovido, habríamos ido al parque.

If it hadn't rained, we would have gone to the park.

Ojalá hubiera sabido la verdad antes.

I wish I'd known the truth earlier.

Regret with ojalá + plusc. de subj.