The present subjunctive is a tense in Spanish grammar that is used to express doubt, emotion, necessity, or uncertainty. In this article you wil llearn how to form it and use it with sentence examples. Let’s begin with theconjugation.
Regular Verbs Conjugation
The regular present subjunctive conjugation for -ar verbs is -e, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en. For –er and -ir verbs, the endings are -a, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. For example, the verb “hablar” (to speak) would be conjugated in the present subjunctive as follows:
| Pronoun | -AR verbs | -ER verbs | -IR verbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hable | coma | viva |
| tú | hables | comas | vivas |
| él/ella/usted | hable | coma | viva |
| nosotros/nosotras | hablemos | comamos | vivamos |
| vosotros/vosotras | habléis | coman | viváis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hablen | comáis | vivan |
Irregular Verbs Conjugation
There are some irregular verbs in the present subjunctive that do not follow the regular pattern. These verbs include ir, tener, haber, poner and saber. Here are some examples of how these verbs are conjugated in the present subjunctive:
| Pronoun | Tener | Ir | Hacer |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | tenga | vaya | haga |
| tú | tengas | vayas | hagas |
| él/ella/usted | tenga | vaya | haga |
| nosotros/nosotras | tengamos | vayamos | hagamos |
| vosotros/vosotras | tengáis | vayáis | hagáis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | tengan | vayan | hagan |
Stem-Changing Verbs
Some verbs undergo stem changes in the present subjunctive. For example, the verb “dormir” (to sleep) would be conjugated in the present subjunctive as follows:
| Pronoun | Dormir Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | duerma |
| tú | duermas |
| él/ella/usted | duerma |
| nosotros/nosotras | durmamos |
| vosotros/vosotras | durmáis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | duerman |
Spelling Changes
Some verbs have spelling changes in the present subjunctive to maintain the correct pronunciation. These changes occur in the -car and -gar verbs. For example, the verb “tocar” (to play) would be conjugated in the present subjunctive as follows:
| Pronoun | Tocar Conjugation | Jugar Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | toque | juegue |
| tú | toques | juegues |
| él/ella/usted | toque | juegue |
| nosotros/nosotras | toquemos | juguemos |
| vosotros/vosotras | toquéis | juguéis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | toquen | jueguen |
When do we use the Present Subjunctive in Spanish?
The present subjunctive is used to express doubt, uncertainty, emotion, wishes, desires, requests, suggestions, and advice. Here are some examples:
Expressing Doubt and Uncertainty
When you express doubt or uncertainty, you can use the present subjunctive in the subordinate clause after the main clause. For example:
- No creo que tú sepas la verdad. (I don’t think you know the truth.)
- Es posible que él no venga mañana. (It’s possible that he won’t come tomorrow.)
Expressing Emotion and Feelings
When you express emotion or feelings, you can use the present subjunctive in the subordinate clause after the main clause. For example:
- Me alegra que estés aquí. (I’m glad you’re here.)
- Siento que no puedas venir. (I’m sorry you can’t come.)
Expressing Wishes and Desires
When you express wishes or desires, you can use the present subjunctive in the subordinate clause after the main clause. For example:
- Quiero que vengas a mi fiesta. (I want you to come to my party.)
- Ojalá que nieve mañana. (I hope it snows tomorrow.)
Making Requests and Suggestions
When you make requests or suggestions, you can use the present subjunctive in the subordinate clause after the main clause. For example:
- Te pido que me ayudes. (I ask you to help me.)
- Sugiero que veas esa película. (I suggest you watch that movie.)
Giving Advice and Recommendations
When you give advice or recommendations, you can use the present subjunctive in the subordinate clause after the main clause. For example:
- Es importante que estudies todos los días. (It’s important that you study every day.)
- Te recomiendo que visites ese lugar. (I recommend you visit that place.)
Remember that the present subjunctive is used when the main clause expresses doubt, uncertainty, emotion, wishes, desires, requests, suggestions, or advice. Use the indicative mood for statements of fact or certainty.
Examples of Present Subjunctive in Spanish
If you want to use the present subjunctive in Spanish, you can start by using some of the following phrases:
- Ojalá que (I hope that)
- Espero que (I hope that)
- Es importante que (It is important that)
- Necesito que (I need that)
- Dudo que (I doubt that)
- No creo que (I don’t believe that)
Here are some examples of present subjunctive in Spanish:
- Espero que tú tengas un buen día. (I hope that you have a good day.)
- Es importante que traigas los documentos. (It is important that you bring the documents.)
- Necesito que me ayudes con la tarea. (I need you to help me with the homework.)
- Dudo que él venga a la fiesta. (I doubt that he will come to the party.)
- No creo que sea posible. (I don’t believe that it is possible.)
As you can see, the present subjunctive is used to express doubt, hope, necessity, and importance. It is important to remember that the present subjunctive is used when the main clause expresses doubt, hope, necessity, or importance, and the subordinate clause expresses what is desired, doubted, or necessary.
In addition to the phrases mentioned above, there are many other phrases that can be used with the present subjunctive in Spanish. By using the present subjunctive correctly, you can express your desires, doubts, and needs in a clear and concise way.
Present Subjunctive vs. Other Moods
When learning Spanish grammar, it is essential to understand the different moods that exist in the language. The two primary moods are the subjunctive and indicative mood. In this section, we will explore the differences between the present subjunctive and other moods, such as the present indicative, imperative, future, and past.
Present Subjunctive vs. Present Indicative
The present subjunctive is often used to express doubts, wishes, emotions, and possibilities, while the present indicative is used to express facts and objective statements. For example, “I want you to be happy” would be “Quiero que seas feliz” in the present subjunctive, while “You are happy” would be “Eres feliz” in the present indicative.
Present Subjunctive vs. Imperative
The imperative mood is used to give commands or make requests. The present subjunctive can also be used to make requests, but it is more commonly used to express doubts, wishes, emotions, and possibilities. For example, “Come here!” would be “¡Ven aquí!” in the imperative, while “I hope you come here” would be “Espero que vengas aquí” in the present subjunctive.
Understanding Subordinate Clauses
To understand the present subjunctive in Spanish, it’s important to first understand subordinate clauses. A subordinate clause, also known as a dependent clause, is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone as a sentence. Instead, it depends on an independent clause, which is a complete sentence that can stand alone.
Subordinate clauses are often introduced by conjunctions such as “que,” “cuando,” “donde,” and “aunque.” These conjunctions signal that the following clause is subordinate to the independent clause. The use of subordinate clauses is important in Spanish because they often trigger the use of the subjunctive mood.
The subjunctive mood is used to express doubt, uncertainty, emotion, or hypothetical situations. In Spanish, the subjunctive is often used in subordinate clauses that express doubt, emotion, or uncertainty. For example, “Espero que vengas” (I hope you come) uses the subjunctive because the subordinate clause expresses doubt or uncertainty about whether the person will come.
One common conjunction that triggers the use of the subjunctive is “aunque,” which means “although” or “even though.” When “aunque” is used to introduce a subordinate clause, the verb in the subordinate clause is often in the subjunctive mood. For example, “Aunque tenga mucho trabajo, iré al cine” (Even though I have a lot of work, I will go to the movies).
Expressing Subjectivity and Opinion
When expressing subjectivity or opinion in Spanish, the present subjunctive mood is commonly used. This mood is used to express doubt, uncertainty, emotion, desire, probability, and obligation. It indicates subjectivity or unreality.
For example, if you want to express your opinion that someone should arrive on time, you could say, “Es importante que llegues a tiempo,” which translates to “It’s important that you arrive on time.” In this sentence, “llegues” is in the present subjunctive form because it expresses an opinion or a desire.
Similarly, if you want to express your doubt about something, you could say, “No creo que él venga,” which means “I don’t think he is coming.” In this sentence, “venga” is in the present subjunctive form because it expresses doubt.
It is important to note that when using opinion verbs in affirmative, the verb after “que” is in the indicative mood. On the other hand, if the opinion verb is negative, then the verb following “que” is in the subjunctive mood.
