Phrase · 💭 Hypotheses in every register
¡Hubieras visto la cara que puso!
You should have seen the look on his face!
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Why every word is where it is
¡Hubieras1verbyou should havehaber · subjunctive · imperfect · 2nd sing.visto1verbseenver · participle · masc. · sing.la2determinertheel · fem. · sing. · definitecara2nounfacefem. · sing.que2pronounthatpuso3verbhe made (put)poner · past · 3rd sing.!
- Hubieras → visto: hubieras + participle
- visto → cara: ver + object
- que → cara: que refers to la cara
- puso → cara: poner cara
Word for word: “You would have seen the face that he put!”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1¡Hubieras visto…! = you should have seen…!: a counterfactual exclamation with no si clause (= if you had been there). The extended conditional system: de + infinitive, hubiera and colloquial patterns →
- 2Emphatic article: la cara que puso = the face he made, i.e. what a face! Emphasis and information structure: clefts and lo … que →
- 3poner cara = to make a face; irregular preterite puso. Preterite II: irregular stems and -ir stem changes →
Variations
- ¡Tendrías que haber visto la cara que puso!
- ¡Si hubieras visto la cara que puso!
- ¡Hubieses visto la cara que puso!