The Spanish Subjunctive: Review

The Spanish SubjunctiveIt is used to express the hypothetical or subjective, such as a speaker’s attitudes, wishes, feelings, emotions, or doubts.

Unlike the indicative, which states facts, the subjunctive describes actions or states that are not yet reality at all (and maybe never will be).

The Spanish SubjunctiveNotice the following examples:

Creo que Luis va a Cartagena. I believe that Luis is going to

Cartagena. (Certainty: indicative)

No creo que Luis vaya a San Andrés. I don’t think that Luis is going to San

Andrés. (Uncertainty: subjunctive)

If we are careful to begin with this step, verbs with irregular stems and yo forms will be included and will not be considered irregular in the subjunctive:

conocer → conozco

The forms of the subjunctive

hablo como vivo

decir → digo

hacer → hago

perder → pierdo

querer → quiero

pedir → pido traer → traigo

oír → oigo tener → tengo

venir → vengo

ver → veo

dormir → duermo

Step 1: Start with the yo form of the verb in the present tense (this applies to all three conjugations):

The forms of the subjunctive

habl com viv

Step 2: Take off the final o of the yo form:

Step 3: Add the “opposite” endings:

For -ar verbs: Add -er verb endings.

hablhablhabl

hablhablhabl

eese

emoséisen

Notice that the first- and third-person singular forms are identical.

o o o

The forms of the subjunctiveStep 3: Add the “opposite” endings:

For -er and -ir verbs: Add -ar verb endings to both.

comcomcom

comcomcom

aasa

amosáisan

vivvivviv

vivvivviv

aasa

amosáisan

Again, first- and third-person singular forms are identical.

recordar (o ue)

recuerderecuerdesrecuerderecordemosrecordéisrecuerden

perder (e ie)

pierdapierdaspierdaperdamosperdáispierdan

Remember, however, that stem changes do not apply to nosotros and vosotros forms.

The forms of the subjunctiveStem-changing -ar and -er verbs have the same stem changes as in the present indicative.

-car c qu

The forms of the subjunctiveThe following spelling changes occur in all forms of the present subjunctive with verbs whose infinitives end in -car, -gar, and -zar.

-gar g gu -zar z cbuscarbusquebusquesbusquebusquemosbusquéisbusquen

llegarlleguellegueslleguelleguemoslleguéislleguen

empezarempieceempiecesempieceempecemosempecéisempiecen

Dar

Ir

Ser

Haber

Estar

Saber

dé, des, dé, demos, deis, den

vaya, vayas, vaya, vayamos, vayáis, vayan

sea, seas, sea, seamos, seáis, sean

haya, hayas, haya, hayamos, hayáis, hayan

esté, estés, esté, estemos, estéis, estén

sepa, sepas, sepa, sepamos, sepáis, sepan

There are only six truly irregular verbs, that is, verbs to which we cannot apply our three-step process.

The forms of the subjunctive

When listed in the following order, the initial letters of each verb form the acronym DISHES, a useful memory device.

Yo quiero que Juan vaya a la fiesta.

main clause subordinate clause

The usage of the subjunctiveThe subjunctive normally occurs in the subordinate clause of a two-part sentence (hence the term subjunctive) and generally is preceded by the relator que or an adverb such as cuando, donde, etc.Normally, the main clause has a different subject and verb than the subordinate clause.

1. Cause or prevention.

3. Falseness or unreality.

2. Personal bias or emotion.

The usage of the subjunctive

If the main clause expresses . . .

. . . the subjunctive is used in the subordinate clause.

Benjamín quiere que Antonio ponga la mesa.

Yo insisto en que tú hagas el trabajo.

Prohibimos que los clientes fumen en la oficina.

(Notice that que unites the two clauses.)

(indicative: pone)

(indicative: haces)

(indicative: fuman)

The usage of the subjunctive1. Cause or prevention: When the subject in the main

clause uses a verb that tends to cause or prevent something in the subordinate clause, the subjunctive is always used in the subordinate clause.

Cause

querer insistir recomendar mandar

pedir permitir aconsejar obligar

necesitar sugerir

ser importante, imprescindible, permisible, necesario, innecesario, preferible, mejor, urgente

Prevention

impedir prohibir no permitir

The usage of the subjunctiveFollowing are some common verbs and expressions that might be used to cause or prevent.

Me alegro de que tú saques buenas notas.

¡Qué lástima que ellos no sepan su número de teléfono!

Lamento que hayas perdido tu dinero.

Me gusta que Alfredo te ayude.

(indicative: sacas)

(indicative: saben)

(indicative: has perdido)

(indicative: ayuda)

The usage of the subjunctive2. Personal bias or emotion: When the verb in the

main clause expresses a feeling, emotion, or personal bias, the subjunctive is usually (but not always) used in the subordinate clause.

gustar alegrarse (de) apenarasombrar sorprender entristecertemer esperar sentir

ser triste ser una lástima ser maravillososer bueno, terrible, horroroso, fantástico, etc.

estar alegre, contento, triste, etc.

ojalá

The usage of the subjunctiveFollowing are some common verbs and expressions that express personal bias or emotion.

Es verdad que los niños comen demasiado. Estoy seguro que Alonzo tiene su pasaporte.

No creemos que vaya a nevar mañana. Mis amigos dudan que yo pueda pilotear el avión. No hay nadie que sepa la verdad.

The usage of the subjunctive3. Falseness or unreality: If the main clause

indicates that something is true or indeed exists, the indicative is used in the subordinate clause.

By contrast, if the main clause indicates doubt, falseness or unreality, the subjunctive is used in the subordinate clause.

Truthcreer estar seguro jurarafirmar confirmar asegurarser cierto ser indudable ser evidenteser obvio ser verdad ser (estar) claro

Falsenessno creer negar no estar segurodudar no poder creerser (im)posible ser (im)probableno ser verdad no ser cierto

The usage of the subjunctiveFollowing are some common verbs and expressions that express truth or falseness.

ESCAPA

en caso de quesin quecon tal (de) queantes (de) quepara quea menos que

(in case)(without, unless)(provided that)(before)(so that, in order that)(unless)

The usage of the subjunctiveFinally, the subjunctive is always used after the following phrases (and a few other similar ones). When listed in the order shown below, they form the acronym ESCAPA, a useful memory device.

FIN