estuvieras

Estuvieras is a form of the Spanish verb estar. It is the second-person singular imperfect subjunctive, used in dependent clauses to express hypothetical states, doubt, wishes, or nonreal situations.

Formation and variants: The imperfect subjunctive is formed from the preterite third-person plural form of estar, here estuvieron, by dropping the ending and adding the subjunctive endings. The stem becomes estuvi-, producing estuvi ér a, estuvi er as, estuvi era, estuvi éramos, estuvi erais, estuvi eran in the -ra variant. The second-person singular is estuvi eras, i.e., est uvi era s. There is also a -se variant, estuvi ese s (estuviese, estuvieses, etc.), which is more literary or older in some dialects. Thus estu v i er as and estu v i ese s are both correct forms for tú.

Usage: Estuvieras is used in subordinate clauses after verbs or expressions that require the subjunctive, such as doubt, desire, possibility, or condition. It often appears in si-clauses: Si tú estuvieras aquí, podríamos empezar. It can also follow phrases like ojalá, como si, o, sin que. Examples with tú include: Si estuvieras más atento, no cometerías esos errores; Quería que estuvieras preparado a tiempo.

Etymology and related forms: The form derives from estar with the imperfect subjunctive endings, sharing a common pattern with other verbs in the same mood. Related forms include estuviera, estuvieras, estuviera, estuviéramos, estuvierais, estuvieran, and the alternative estuviese, estuvieses, estuviese, estuviésemos, estuvieseis, estuviesen.

See also: Spanish subjunctive mood, irregular verbs with -uv- stems, pronouns tú vs. usted in subjunctive contexts.