El Subjuntivo
The Subjunctive is not another verb tense, but rather a mood (el modo)
A tense (el tiempo) refers to when the actions takes place (past, present, future, etc.)
In Spanish, there are 3 moods:
The indicative mood (el modo indicativo) - facts, certainty, objectivity 👍
The subjunctive mood (el modo subjuntivo) - doubt, uncertainty, subjectivity 🤷
The imperitive mood (el modo imperative) - the commands 🫵
Most often the subjunctive is used when one person is expressing their wishes, desires, requests onto another person. Since it is not a fact, and it may or may not happen, we must use the subjunctive for the 2nd verb.
In Spanish, the subjunctive normally occurs in dependent clauses introduced by the conjunction QUE.
Mis padres quieren QUE yo saque buenas notas. My parents want that I get good grades.
(Saque is a verb form in the Subjunctive Mood; the verb QUERER in the main clause “triggered’ the use of the SUBJUNCTIVE in the dependent/ subordinated clause.)
The main clause <<Mis padres quieren>> is followed by QUE and a dependent clause with a verb in the Subjunctive Mood, <<… yo saque buenas notas.>>
The SUBJECTS in both clauses are DIFFERENT
Formula:
SUBJECT 1 + VERB 1 + QUE + SUBJECT 2 + VERB 2 (WEIRDO) (SUBJUNTIVO) |
|---|
WEIRDO Verbs/Expressions that trigger the Subjunctive
W Wishes and Wants | Quiero que… | I want that… |
|---|---|---|
Deseo que… | I wish that… | |
Espero que… | I hope that… | |
Prefiero que… | I prefer that… | |
E Emotions | Es una lástima que… | It is a pity that… |
Es triste que… | It's sad that… | |
Es peligroso que… | It is dangerous that... | |
Es ridículo que… | It's ridiculous that... | |
Es fantástico que… | It's fantastic that… | |
Es increíble que… | It's incredible that… | |
Es terrible que… | It's awful that... | |
Me alegro que… | I’m glad that… | |
I Impersonal expressions | Es importante que… | It is important that… |
Es necesario que… | It's necessary that… | |
Es mejor que… | Is better than… | |
Más vale que… | Had better that… | |
R Recommendations/requests | Recomendar (ie) | Recommend |
Aconsejar | Advise | |
Pedir (i) | Ask | |
Sugerir (ie) | Suggest | |
Exigir | Demand | |
Rogar (ue) | Beg (ue) | |
Insistir | Insist | |
D Doubt/ denial | Es posible que… | It is possible that… |
Es probable que… | It is likely that | |
Es improbable que… | It is unlikely that… | |
Dudo que… | I doubt that… | |
No creo que… | I do not think that… | |
Ojala | Ojalá que… | I hope that… (God willing) |
Conjugation time!
To form the present tense of the subjunctive of regular verbs, you drop the -o ending of the yo form of the present indicative. Add -e endings to all -ar verbs and -a endings to all -er and -ir verbs.
For verbs that are irregular in the present indicative: if the irregularity shows up in the yo form of the present indicative, the change is found in all forms in the present subjunctive.
Like TENER, DECIR, CONOCER…
VERBS WITH SPELLING CHANGES:
Verbs that end in -ger, -gir change the g of the stem to a j, keeping the j in the stem of the present subjunctive.
Like PROTEGER, RECOGER, DIRIGIR…
For verbs that end in -car, gar and zar, use the spelling changes that occur in the yo form of the preterit indicative
-car changes to qu
Like PRACTICAR, TOCAR, EXPLICAR
-gar changes to gu
Like LLEGAR, PAGAR, JUGAR*
[TENER is a double whammy - there is also a spelling change (u-ue) for all forms except NOSOTROS and VOSOTROS]
-zar changes to c
Like ALCANZAR, ORGANIZAR, EMPEZAR*
[EMPEZAR is a double whammy - there is also a spelling change (u-ue) for all forms except NOSOTROS and VOSOTROS]
STEM-CHANGING VERBS
If the stem change is from a Single-vowel-to-single-vowel, this irregularity is found in ALL forms
Like SERVIR (e-i), PEDIR (e-i)
If the stem change is from a Single-vowel-to-double-vowel, this irregularity is found in all forms EXCEPT nosotros and vosotros (boot verb)
Like Poder (u-ue), PENSAR (e-ie)
IRREGULAR SUBJUNCTIVE- The following are the only verbs that do not follow the regular pattern for the formation of the present subjunctive.
Memorize the chant
El Subjuntivo
The Subjunctive is not another verb tense, but rather a mood (el modo)
A tense (el tiempo) refers to when the actions takes place (past, present, future, etc.)
In Spanish, there are 3 moods:
The indicative mood (el modo indicativo) - facts, certainty, objectivity 👍
The subjunctive mood (el modo subjuntivo) - doubt, uncertainty, subjectivity 🤷
The imperitive mood (el modo imperative) - the commands 🫵
Most often the subjunctive is used when one person is expressing their wishes, desires, requests onto another person. Since it is not a fact, and it may or may not happen, we must use the subjunctive for the 2nd verb.
In Spanish, the subjunctive normally occurs in dependent clauses introduced by the conjunction QUE.
Mis padres quieren QUE yo saque buenas notas. My parents want that I get good grades.
(Saque is a verb form in the Subjunctive Mood; the verb QUERER in the main clause “triggered’ the use of the SUBJUNCTIVE in the dependent/ subordinated clause.)
The main clause <<Mis padres quieren>> is followed by QUE and a dependent clause with a verb in the Subjunctive Mood, <<… yo saque buenas notas.>>
The SUBJECTS in both clauses are DIFFERENT
Formula:
SUBJECT 1 + VERB 1 + QUE + SUBJECT 2 + VERB 2 (WEIRDO) (SUBJUNTIVO) |
|---|
WEIRDO Verbs/Expressions that trigger the Subjunctive
W Wishes and Wants | Quiero que… | I want that… |
|---|---|---|
Deseo que… | I wish that… | |
Espero que… | I hope that… | |
Prefiero que… | I prefer that… | |
E Emotions | Es una lástima que… | It is a pity that… |
Es triste que… | It's sad that… | |
Es peligroso que… | It is dangerous that... | |
Es ridículo que… | It's ridiculous that... | |
Es fantástico que… | It's fantastic that… | |
Es increíble que… | It's incredible that… | |
Es terrible que… | It's awful that... | |
Me alegro que… | I’m glad that… | |
I Impersonal expressions | Es importante que… | It is important that… |
Es necesario que… | It's necessary that… | |
Es mejor que… | Is better than… | |
Más vale que… | Had better that… | |
R Recommendations/requests | Recomendar (ie) | Recommend |
Aconsejar | Advise | |
Pedir (i) | Ask | |
Sugerir (ie) | Suggest | |
Exigir | Demand | |
Rogar (ue) | Beg (ue) | |
Insistir | Insist | |
D Doubt/ denial | Es posible que… | It is possible that… |
Es probable que… | It is likely that | |
Es improbable que… | It is unlikely that… | |
Dudo que… | I doubt that… | |
No creo que… | I do not think that… | |
Ojala | Ojalá que… | I hope that… (God willing) |
Conjugation time!
To form the present tense of the subjunctive of regular verbs, you drop the -o ending of the yo form of the present indicative. Add -e endings to all -ar verbs and -a endings to all -er and -ir verbs.
For verbs that are irregular in the present indicative: if the irregularity shows up in the yo form of the present indicative, the change is found in all forms in the present subjunctive.
Like TENER, DECIR, CONOCER…
VERBS WITH SPELLING CHANGES:
Verbs that end in -ger, -gir change the g of the stem to a j, keeping the j in the stem of the present subjunctive.
Like PROTEGER, RECOGER, DIRIGIR…
For verbs that end in -car, gar and zar, use the spelling changes that occur in the yo form of the preterit indicative
-car changes to qu
Like PRACTICAR, TOCAR, EXPLICAR
-gar changes to gu
Like LLEGAR, PAGAR, JUGAR*
[TENER is a double whammy - there is also a spelling change (u-ue) for all forms except NOSOTROS and VOSOTROS]
-zar changes to c
Like ALCANZAR, ORGANIZAR, EMPEZAR*
[EMPEZAR is a double whammy - there is also a spelling change (u-ue) for all forms except NOSOTROS and VOSOTROS]
STEM-CHANGING VERBS
If the stem change is from a Single-vowel-to-single-vowel, this irregularity is found in ALL forms
Like SERVIR (e-i), PEDIR (e-i)
If the stem change is from a Single-vowel-to-double-vowel, this irregularity is found in all forms EXCEPT nosotros and vosotros (boot verb)
Like Poder (u-ue), PENSAR (e-ie)
IRREGULAR SUBJUNCTIVE- The following are the only verbs that do not follow the regular pattern for the formation of the present subjunctive.
Memorize the chant
