participaran

Participaran is the third-person plural imperfect subjunctive form of the Spanish verb participar. It is used in subordinate clauses to express doubt, possibility, wishes, or hypothetical situations in the past or in relation to a past-tense main clause.

Formation and variants: The form is built from the third-person plural preterite form ellos participaron by removing the -ron and adding the -aran ending. The -ra variant is participaran; the alternate -se form is participasen. The future tense form participarán is a different mood and should not be confused with this form.

Usage: Participaran appears in sentences that convey unreality or non-factual conditions, such as hypothetical scenarios or reported speech in the past. For example: Si ellos participaran en el concurso, ganarían. Me sorprendió que participaran en la reunión. After a past-tense main clause, the imperfect subjunctive is common; after a present-tense main clause one may use the present subjunctive, depending on meaning and style.

Notes: It is distinct from participarán, the third-person plural form of participar in the future indicative. The imperfect subjunctive forms, including participaran, are part of a larger system of subjunctive endings in Spanish and are used to express non-real actions or states in subordinate clauses.