sonriáis

Sonriáis is the second-person plural imperfect subjunctive form of the Spanish verb sonreír, which means "to smile." This grammatical form is used to express a wish, a doubt, a hypothetical situation, or an emotion in the past, directed at "you all" or "you guys" (vosotros/vosotras).

For example, in a sentence like "Quería que sonriáis más," it translates to "I wanted you all to smile more." Here, "sonriáis" is in the imperfect subjunctive because the main verb "quería" (wanted) is in the past tense and expresses a desire or a wish that was not necessarily fulfilled. Another common usage would be in expressing doubt or uncertainty about past actions. If someone said, "No creía que sonriáis en esa situación," it means "I didn't believe you all would smile in that situation." The imperfect subjunctive conveys this uncertainty in a past context.

The imperfect subjunctive in Spanish has two possible endings for the -ir verbs: -iera/-iese. Therefore, "sonrierais" is an alternative form for the second-person plural imperfect subjunctive of sonreír, and both "sonriáis" and "sonrierais" are grammatically correct and interchangeable in most contexts, though regional preferences might exist. Understanding this form is crucial for accurately conveying nuanced meanings related to past desires, doubts, and hypothetical scenarios in Spanish.