B1 · Subjunctive · Part 1 of 4
El subjuntivo: formas
The subjunctive is not a tense, it is a mood: a second set of endings used when the sentence is not reporting the world but reacting to it. English lost almost all of its subjunctive, which is why the concept feels foreign rather than the forms. Start with how it is built, because every use rests on the forms.
How to build it
Take the yo form of the present, drop the -o, and add the opposite endings: -ar verbs take -e, and -er and -ir verbs take -a.
| hablar | comer | vivir | |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hable | coma | viva |
| tú | hables | comas | vivas |
| él / ella | hable | coma | viva |
| nosotros | hablemos | comamos | vivamos |
| ellos | hablen | coman | vivan |
Irregular in the yo form, irregular everywhere
Because the subjunctive is built from the yo form, any irregularity there carries through the whole verb. This is why tener gives tenga and not tena.
| Infinitive | yo (present) | Subjunctive |
|---|---|---|
| tener | tengo | tenga |
| hacer | hago | haga |
| decir | digo | diga |
| salir | salgo | salga |
| conocer | conozco | conozca |
| venir | vengo | venga |
Six that do not follow the rule
These six have no -o in the yo form to build from, so they simply have to be learned.
| Infinitive | Subjunctive |
|---|---|
| ser | sea |
| ir | vaya |
| saber | sepa |
| haber | haya |
| estar | esté |
| dar | dé |
Where it appears
Almost always in a second clause introduced by que, after a first clause that wants, doubts, or feels something. Two clauses, two different subjects.
- Quiero que vengas.I want you to come.
- Espero que llegue el bus.I hope the bus comes.
- Es importante que estudies.It is important that you study.
Why English speakers find it strange
English keeps a few fossils — if I were you, I insist that he be present — but has otherwise merged the mood into the indicative. So there is no habit to transfer. What helps is noticing that Spanish is not marking doubt about the fact, it is marking that the clause is subordinate to a mind: someone wants it, fears it, doubts it, hopes for it.
- Sé que viene.I know he is coming. · reporting the world
- Espero que venga.I hope he comes. · reacting to it
The switch is in the first clause
You never decide the mood by looking at the second verb. The first clause decides it, and the que is the hinge. Learn to hear the trigger and the rest is conjugation.
- Creo que | tiene razón.I think he is right.
- Dudo que | tenga razón.I doubt he is right.
One subject, no subjunctive
If both halves share a subject, Spanish drops the que and uses an infinitive. Quiero que yo vaya is not a sentence; quiero ir is.
- Quiero ir.I want to go.
- Quiero que vayas.I want you to go.
- Espero llegar temprano.I hope to arrive early.
- Espero que llegues temprano.I hope you arrive early.
Spelling changes that are not irregularities
Some verbs change a letter to keep the same sound. Buscar becomes busque, not busce, because c before e would soften. These look irregular on the page and are perfectly regular in the mouth.
| Infinitive | Change | Subjunctive |
|---|---|---|
| buscar | c → qu | busque |
| llegar | g → gu | llegue |
| empezar | z → c | empiece |
| escoger | g → j | escoja |
Mistakes to avoid
Quiero que tú vienes.
Quiero que tú vengas.
After querer que, the second verb goes into the subjunctive.
Quiero que yo vaya.
Quiero ir.
With one subject you use the infinitive, not que + subjunctive.
Es posible que él tiene razón.
Es posible que él tenga razón.
Es posible que expresses a judgement, so the subjunctive follows.
Try it
Quiero que ___ temprano.
Espero que ___ buen tiempo mañana.
Es importante que ustedes ___ la verdad.
Quiero ___ a Lima este año.