expidieran

Expidieran is the imperfect subjunctive form of the Spanish verb expedir, corresponding to the third-person plural subject pronouns ellos, ellas, ustedes. It is used in subordinate clauses that require the imperfect subjunctive, typically to express hypothetical, doubtful, or non-realized actions in the past.

Conjugation and variants. The imperfect subjunctive has two main variants in standard Spanish: the -ra form and the -se form. For expedir, the -ra variant yields expidiera, expidieras, expidiera, expidiéramos, expidieran; the -se variant yields expidiese, expidieses, expidiese, expidiésemos, expidiesen. Thus expidieran is the third-person plural form of the -ra variant. Both forms are correct and largely interchangeable, with regional or stylistic preferences affecting their frequency.

Usage. Expedir means to issue, dispatch, send, or prepare and issue documents or certificates. The imperfect subjunctive expidieran appears in past-tense or hypothetical contexts, often after expressions of doubt, desire, necessity, emotion, or after “si” in past-time hypothetical clauses:

- No creí que expidieran los permisos a tiempo. (I didn’t think they would issue the permits on time.)

- Si expidieran los certificados hoy, podríamos completar el trámite mañana. (If they issued the certificates today, we could complete the process tomorrow.)

It is common in formal writing and in narration that refers to past possibilities or unrealized actions; in everyday speech, speakers may opt for present subjunctive to express related ideas.

See also. Expedir, the base verb. Etymology traces expedir to the Latin expedire, related to setting out or dispatching.