Verbs: Subjunctive Mood

01

The Present Subjunctive

To form the present subjunctive of regular verbs, take the first person singular (yo) of the present indicative, drop the -o, and add the "opposite" vowel endings.

• For -ar verbs, use -e endings: -e, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en.
• For -er and -ir verbs, use -a endings: -a, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an.

Note the inclusion of the vosotros form (-éis, -áis), which is standard in European Spanish.

• Espero que hables con él.

  I hope that you speak with him.

• Es necesario que comáis todo.

  It is necessary that you (plural) eat everything.

• Quiero que vivan cerca.

  I want them to live nearby.

Verbs that are irregular in the yo form of the present indicative keep that irregularity in the subjunctive.

• Tengo -> que yo tenga

  I have → that I have

• Conozco -> que yo conozca

  I know → that I know

There are also fully irregular verbs that must be memorized, such as ser (sea), ir (vaya), saber (sepa), and estar (esté).

02

Usage: Will and Influence

Use the subjunctive when the main clause expresses a wish, command, request, or advice meant to influence the actions of others. Common verbs include querer to want, pedir to ask, and aconsejar to advise.

• Te aconsejo que estudies más.

  I advise you to study more.

• Mamá quiere que limpiéis la habitación.

  Mom wants you (plural) to clean the room.

If there is no change of subject (the person wanting and the person doing are the same), use the infinitive instead.

• Quiero ir a Madrid.

  I want to go to Madrid.

03

Usage: Emotion and Feeling

Expressions of emotion regarding an event require the subjunctive. This includes happiness, sadness, fear, surprise, or regret.

• Me alegro de que estés aquí.

  I am glad that you are here.

• Siento que no puedan venir.

  I am sorry that they cannot come.

04

Usage: Doubt and Negation

Verbs that express doubt, uncertainty, or denial trigger the subjunctive. Conversely, verbs expressing certainty use the indicative.

• Dudar to doubt triggers the subjunctive.
• No creer not to believe triggers the subjunctive.
• Creer to believe implies certainty and uses the indicative.

• Dudo que llueva hoy.

  I doubt that it will rain today.

• No creo que sea verdad.

  I do not think it is true.

• Creo que es verdad.

  I think it is true. (Indicative)

05

The Imperfect (Past) Subjunctive

The imperfect subjunctive is used when the main clause is in a past tense (preterite, imperfect, or conditional) or in hypothetical "if" clauses.

To form it, take the third person plural (ellos/ellas) of the preterite indicative (e.g., hablaron, comieron), drop the -ron, and add the endings.

There are two sets of endings in Spanish. Both are correct and interchangeable in European Spanish, though the -ra form is slightly more frequent in conversation, while the -se form appears often in literature and formal speech.

Option A (-ra endings)

• -ra, -ras, -ra, -ramos, -rais, -ran

• Hablara, comiera, viviera.

  that I spoke, that I ate, that I lived

Option B (-se endings)

• -se, -ses, -se, -semos, -seis, -sen

• Hablase, comiese, viviese.

  that I spoke, that I ate, that I lived

Note that the nosotros form always requires an accent mark on the vowel before the ending (e.g., habláramos or hablásemos).

• Me pidió que comprara pan.

  He asked me to buy bread.

• Me gustaría que vinieseis a la fiesta.

  I would like you (plural) to come to the party.

06

Hypothetical Clauses

The imperfect subjunctive is essential for si if clauses that describe contrary-to-fact or unlikely situations in the present or future.

• Si tuviera dinero, viajaría por el mundo.

  If I had money, I would travel the world.

• Si fuese más alto, jugaría al baloncesto.

  If I were taller, I would play basketball.

07

The Future Subjunctive

The future subjunctive is rarely used in modern spoken Spanish. You will mostly encounter it in legal documents, old literature, or fixed phrases. It is formed by replacing the -ra of the imperfect subjunctive with -re (e.g., hablare, comiere).

• Sea lo que fuere.

  Be that as it may.

• Adonde fueres, haz lo que vieres.

  Wherever you go, do what you see. (When in Rome, do as the Romans do).