comiera

Comiera is the imperfect subjunctive form of the Spanish verb comer (to eat). It belongs to the ra-series of the imperfect subjunctive, one of two standard forms—the other being comiese. The full set for comer in this mood is: yo comiera, tú comieras, él comiera, nosotros comiéramos, vosotros comierais, ellos comieran. The form comiera is used in dependent clauses that require the subjunctive and that refer to non-real, uncertain, or hypothetical situations in the past or in contexts tied to past time.

Usage within grammar and style

The imperfect subjunctive, including comiera, appears in clauses after expressions of doubt, wish, necessity, or emotion, and in conditional clauses describing past or hypothetical situations. It is common in subordinate clauses after verbs of wanting or needing in the past (Quería que comiera), after expressions of doubt (No sabía si comiera), and in clauses introduced by como si (Él habló como si comiera mucho). The form comiese is a variant of the same tense and meaning, often associated with certain dialects or more formal styles.

Examples

Si comiera menos, podría adelgazar. (If I ate less, I could lose weight.)

Quería que comiera temprano. (I wanted him to eat early.)

Él habló como si comiera mucho. (He spoke as if he ate a lot.)

Notes

Both comiera and comiese are understood in contemporary Spanish; comiera is generally more common in many varieties, while comiese may appear in regional or formal writing. The use of this tense reflects the broader subjunctive mood in handling non-real or hypothetical past scenarios.