By Lingobi, Published on 07/31/2025
After a recent trip to Mexico, I found myself saying something over and over: "I would have gone to Teotihuacán if I had more time." It’s the kind of phrase you use when you’re talking about what could’ve happened… but didn’t. In English, this is easy. In Spanish, you’ll need to understand how to use hubiera and phrases like hubiera ido.
*Hubiera* is the past subjunctive form of *haber*, and it’s used in combination with past participles like ido (gone), comido (eaten), or hecho (done).
Si yo hubiera tenido más tiempo, habría ido a Teotihuacán.
If I had had more time, I would have gone to Teotihuacán.
In this sentence, *hubiera tenido* means "had had" and *habría ido* means "would have gone." These two parts work together to form a hypothetical about the past—a missed opportunity.
This structure is common in both English and Spanish. Here’s how it breaks down:
Si + past perfect subjunctive (hubiera + participle), conditional perfect (habría + participle)
Si hubiera estudiado más, habría pasado el examen.
If I had studied more, I would have passed the exam.
Yo hubiera ido. – I would have gone.
Yo hubiera comido antes. – I would have eaten earlier.
Yo hubiera hablado contigo. – I would have spoken with you.
In casual speech, sometimes both verbs use *hubiera* instead of *hubiera + habría*. Like:
Si hubiera sabido, hubiera ido.
If I had known, I would have gone.
This is grammatically less formal but widely used in spoken Spanish across Latin America.
Si hubiera llegado un día antes, habría visitado Teotihuacán.
If I had arrived a day earlier, I would have visited Teotihuacán.
Hubiera probado más comida callejera si me quedaba más tiempo.
I would have tried more street food if I had stayed longer.
Si no estuviera tan cansado, hubiera salido esa noche.
If I weren’t so tired, I would have gone out that night.
It’s amazing how useful this structure is for reflecting on your trip or telling a story. It gives you the power to talk about things you *didn’t* do—but *might have*.
Think about your last trip. What would you have done differently?
Write a few sentences like:
Si hubiera tenido más tiempo, ____________.
Hubiera ____________ si no ____________.
Learning how to use *hubiera* will unlock a whole new layer of fluency in Spanish. It’s one of those patterns that feels hard at first—but once you get it, you’ll start hearing and using it everywhere.
Want to practice *hubiera* in real conversations? Try Lingobi for interactive chat and guided lessons on everything from grammar to travel Spanish.
