Using the imperfect indicative vs. subjunctive with si












3















I came across a sentence in Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal that has me a bit puzzled:




¿Se estaba imaginando cosas? ¿O podría todo aquello tener algo que ver
con los Potter? Si fuera así... si se descubría que ellos eran
parientes de unos... bueno, creía que no podría soportarlo.




I'm learning Spanish after having learned French, and I thought it was interesting that the si clauses in the French are a bit simpler:




Mr Dursley imaginait-il des choses ? Tout cela avait-il un lien avec
les Potter ? Si c’était le cas… S’il s’avérait qu’ils étaient parents
avec des… Non, il ne pourrait jamais le supporter.




How does one decide in Spanish whether to use the imperfect subjunctive (fuera) or the imperfect indicative (se descubría)?










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    3















    I came across a sentence in Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal that has me a bit puzzled:




    ¿Se estaba imaginando cosas? ¿O podría todo aquello tener algo que ver
    con los Potter? Si fuera así... si se descubría que ellos eran
    parientes de unos... bueno, creía que no podría soportarlo.




    I'm learning Spanish after having learned French, and I thought it was interesting that the si clauses in the French are a bit simpler:




    Mr Dursley imaginait-il des choses ? Tout cela avait-il un lien avec
    les Potter ? Si c’était le cas… S’il s’avérait qu’ils étaient parents
    avec des… Non, il ne pourrait jamais le supporter.




    How does one decide in Spanish whether to use the imperfect subjunctive (fuera) or the imperfect indicative (se descubría)?










    share|improve this question







    New contributor




    Alan O'Donnell is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.























      3












      3








      3








      I came across a sentence in Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal that has me a bit puzzled:




      ¿Se estaba imaginando cosas? ¿O podría todo aquello tener algo que ver
      con los Potter? Si fuera así... si se descubría que ellos eran
      parientes de unos... bueno, creía que no podría soportarlo.




      I'm learning Spanish after having learned French, and I thought it was interesting that the si clauses in the French are a bit simpler:




      Mr Dursley imaginait-il des choses ? Tout cela avait-il un lien avec
      les Potter ? Si c’était le cas… S’il s’avérait qu’ils étaient parents
      avec des… Non, il ne pourrait jamais le supporter.




      How does one decide in Spanish whether to use the imperfect subjunctive (fuera) or the imperfect indicative (se descubría)?










      share|improve this question







      New contributor




      Alan O'Donnell is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.












      I came across a sentence in Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal that has me a bit puzzled:




      ¿Se estaba imaginando cosas? ¿O podría todo aquello tener algo que ver
      con los Potter? Si fuera así... si se descubría que ellos eran
      parientes de unos... bueno, creía que no podría soportarlo.




      I'm learning Spanish after having learned French, and I thought it was interesting that the si clauses in the French are a bit simpler:




      Mr Dursley imaginait-il des choses ? Tout cela avait-il un lien avec
      les Potter ? Si c’était le cas… S’il s’avérait qu’ils étaient parents
      avec des… Non, il ne pourrait jamais le supporter.




      How does one decide in Spanish whether to use the imperfect subjunctive (fuera) or the imperfect indicative (se descubría)?







      gramática subjuntivo






      share|improve this question







      New contributor




      Alan O'Donnell is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.











      share|improve this question







      New contributor




      Alan O'Donnell is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.









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      asked 3 hours ago









      Alan O'DonnellAlan O'Donnell

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          2 Answers
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          You could also say:




          • Si era así... si se descubría que ellos eran parientes de unos... bueno, creía que no podría soportarlo.


          The imperfect indicative sounds more realistic, and is always past, while the imperfect subjunctive sounds more hypothetical and may point to the future.



          What I don't like is "creía": I'd do away with it and write just "no podría soportarlo", but the original must have required the introduction of that verb of thinking.



          Going back to your original sentence, let's see the two variants with their interpretations:




          • Si era así, no podría soportarlo. (If it was --in fact-- like that, he wouldn't be able to cope with it).


          • Si fuera así, no podría soportarlo. (Past meaning: If it happened to be like that, he wouldn't be able to cope with it / Present or future meaning: If it was/were like that, he wouldn't be able to cope with it.)







          share|improve this answer































            1














            According to the Diccionario Panhispánico de Dudas (the "official" Spanish dictionary on frequent grammatical, lexical, and orthographical questions), you can use both the imperfect subjunctive (fuera) or the imperfect indicative (se descubría): they are interchangeable.




            a) Si la condición se refiere al presente o al futuro, la prótasis va en pretérito imperfecto o copretérito de subjuntivo y la apódosis en condicional simple o pospretérito




            Translation:




            a) If the conditional sentence refers to hypothetical situations in the present or the future, the if clause must use the imperfect indicative or the imperfect subjunctive, and the main clause must use the conditional.




            Therefore, I would disagree with Gustavson's answer. The use of the imperfect indicative or the imperfect subjunctive doesn't really matter. Both sentences would be semantically the same since both are expressing an hypothetical situations in the present or the future.






            share|improve this answer























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              2 Answers
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              active

              oldest

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              2 Answers
              2






              active

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              active

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              active

              oldest

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              1














              You could also say:




              • Si era así... si se descubría que ellos eran parientes de unos... bueno, creía que no podría soportarlo.


              The imperfect indicative sounds more realistic, and is always past, while the imperfect subjunctive sounds more hypothetical and may point to the future.



              What I don't like is "creía": I'd do away with it and write just "no podría soportarlo", but the original must have required the introduction of that verb of thinking.



              Going back to your original sentence, let's see the two variants with their interpretations:




              • Si era así, no podría soportarlo. (If it was --in fact-- like that, he wouldn't be able to cope with it).


              • Si fuera así, no podría soportarlo. (Past meaning: If it happened to be like that, he wouldn't be able to cope with it / Present or future meaning: If it was/were like that, he wouldn't be able to cope with it.)







              share|improve this answer




























                1














                You could also say:




                • Si era así... si se descubría que ellos eran parientes de unos... bueno, creía que no podría soportarlo.


                The imperfect indicative sounds more realistic, and is always past, while the imperfect subjunctive sounds more hypothetical and may point to the future.



                What I don't like is "creía": I'd do away with it and write just "no podría soportarlo", but the original must have required the introduction of that verb of thinking.



                Going back to your original sentence, let's see the two variants with their interpretations:




                • Si era así, no podría soportarlo. (If it was --in fact-- like that, he wouldn't be able to cope with it).


                • Si fuera así, no podría soportarlo. (Past meaning: If it happened to be like that, he wouldn't be able to cope with it / Present or future meaning: If it was/were like that, he wouldn't be able to cope with it.)







                share|improve this answer


























                  1












                  1








                  1







                  You could also say:




                  • Si era así... si se descubría que ellos eran parientes de unos... bueno, creía que no podría soportarlo.


                  The imperfect indicative sounds more realistic, and is always past, while the imperfect subjunctive sounds more hypothetical and may point to the future.



                  What I don't like is "creía": I'd do away with it and write just "no podría soportarlo", but the original must have required the introduction of that verb of thinking.



                  Going back to your original sentence, let's see the two variants with their interpretations:




                  • Si era así, no podría soportarlo. (If it was --in fact-- like that, he wouldn't be able to cope with it).


                  • Si fuera así, no podría soportarlo. (Past meaning: If it happened to be like that, he wouldn't be able to cope with it / Present or future meaning: If it was/were like that, he wouldn't be able to cope with it.)







                  share|improve this answer













                  You could also say:




                  • Si era así... si se descubría que ellos eran parientes de unos... bueno, creía que no podría soportarlo.


                  The imperfect indicative sounds more realistic, and is always past, while the imperfect subjunctive sounds more hypothetical and may point to the future.



                  What I don't like is "creía": I'd do away with it and write just "no podría soportarlo", but the original must have required the introduction of that verb of thinking.



                  Going back to your original sentence, let's see the two variants with their interpretations:




                  • Si era así, no podría soportarlo. (If it was --in fact-- like that, he wouldn't be able to cope with it).


                  • Si fuera así, no podría soportarlo. (Past meaning: If it happened to be like that, he wouldn't be able to cope with it / Present or future meaning: If it was/were like that, he wouldn't be able to cope with it.)








                  share|improve this answer












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                  answered 2 hours ago









                  GustavsonGustavson

                  8,9221828




                  8,9221828























                      1














                      According to the Diccionario Panhispánico de Dudas (the "official" Spanish dictionary on frequent grammatical, lexical, and orthographical questions), you can use both the imperfect subjunctive (fuera) or the imperfect indicative (se descubría): they are interchangeable.




                      a) Si la condición se refiere al presente o al futuro, la prótasis va en pretérito imperfecto o copretérito de subjuntivo y la apódosis en condicional simple o pospretérito




                      Translation:




                      a) If the conditional sentence refers to hypothetical situations in the present or the future, the if clause must use the imperfect indicative or the imperfect subjunctive, and the main clause must use the conditional.




                      Therefore, I would disagree with Gustavson's answer. The use of the imperfect indicative or the imperfect subjunctive doesn't really matter. Both sentences would be semantically the same since both are expressing an hypothetical situations in the present or the future.






                      share|improve this answer




























                        1














                        According to the Diccionario Panhispánico de Dudas (the "official" Spanish dictionary on frequent grammatical, lexical, and orthographical questions), you can use both the imperfect subjunctive (fuera) or the imperfect indicative (se descubría): they are interchangeable.




                        a) Si la condición se refiere al presente o al futuro, la prótasis va en pretérito imperfecto o copretérito de subjuntivo y la apódosis en condicional simple o pospretérito




                        Translation:




                        a) If the conditional sentence refers to hypothetical situations in the present or the future, the if clause must use the imperfect indicative or the imperfect subjunctive, and the main clause must use the conditional.




                        Therefore, I would disagree with Gustavson's answer. The use of the imperfect indicative or the imperfect subjunctive doesn't really matter. Both sentences would be semantically the same since both are expressing an hypothetical situations in the present or the future.






                        share|improve this answer


























                          1












                          1








                          1







                          According to the Diccionario Panhispánico de Dudas (the "official" Spanish dictionary on frequent grammatical, lexical, and orthographical questions), you can use both the imperfect subjunctive (fuera) or the imperfect indicative (se descubría): they are interchangeable.




                          a) Si la condición se refiere al presente o al futuro, la prótasis va en pretérito imperfecto o copretérito de subjuntivo y la apódosis en condicional simple o pospretérito




                          Translation:




                          a) If the conditional sentence refers to hypothetical situations in the present or the future, the if clause must use the imperfect indicative or the imperfect subjunctive, and the main clause must use the conditional.




                          Therefore, I would disagree with Gustavson's answer. The use of the imperfect indicative or the imperfect subjunctive doesn't really matter. Both sentences would be semantically the same since both are expressing an hypothetical situations in the present or the future.






                          share|improve this answer













                          According to the Diccionario Panhispánico de Dudas (the "official" Spanish dictionary on frequent grammatical, lexical, and orthographical questions), you can use both the imperfect subjunctive (fuera) or the imperfect indicative (se descubría): they are interchangeable.




                          a) Si la condición se refiere al presente o al futuro, la prótasis va en pretérito imperfecto o copretérito de subjuntivo y la apódosis en condicional simple o pospretérito




                          Translation:




                          a) If the conditional sentence refers to hypothetical situations in the present or the future, the if clause must use the imperfect indicative or the imperfect subjunctive, and the main clause must use the conditional.




                          Therefore, I would disagree with Gustavson's answer. The use of the imperfect indicative or the imperfect subjunctive doesn't really matter. Both sentences would be semantically the same since both are expressing an hypothetical situations in the present or the future.







                          share|improve this answer












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                          answered 1 hour ago









                          prm296prm296

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