estuvieran

Estuvieran is the imperfect subjunctive form of the Spanish verb estar, used with third-person plural subjects (ellos, ellas, ustedes). It belongs to the subjunctive mood, which expresses doubt, possibility, wishes, or hypothetical scenarios in dependent clauses.

Formation and related forms: The imperfect subjunctive is formed from the third-person plural preterite form (estuvieron) by removing -ron and adding the endings of the imperfect subjunctive. The -ra variant yields forms such as estuvi-era, estuvi-era(s), estuviéramos, estuvierais, estuvieran. There is also the -se variant, estuviése, estuviéses, estuviésemos, estuvieseis, estuviesen. In practice, estuviéran is the typical third-person plural form in the -ra set, corresponding to ustedes/ellos.

Usage: Estuvieran is used in subordinate clauses that require the subjunctive, often in past-tense contexts, hypothetical situations, or statements of doubt, desire, or possibility. Examples include si clauses ("Si estuvieran aquí, podríamos comenzar") and reported speech or polite requests in the past ("Dijo que estuvieran listos" or "Quería que estuvieran presentes"). It can express a past counterfactual situation or a wish regarding the past.

Notes: Estar is irregular, and its imperfect subjunctive forms reflect a stem variation from estu‑ to estuvier‑. Distinctions with the indicative preterite "estuvieron" mark a shift from factual past events to non-real or contingent past scenarios in discourse.