The Spanish subjunctive: A comprehensive cheat sheet
Karen Anchante
• Nov 10, 2023
• 12 minutes
Updated Jan 31, 2024
In this volume, we discuss the alphabet, definite and indefinite articles, and verbs ser and estar, among other topics.
The subjunctive can be a bit puzzling, right? It's not your typical tense; it’s more like a mood. But, what's the deal with it? Well, picture it as a portal to an alternate reality in the past, present, or future, lurking within certain language structures. In English, you'd say, "I live here." But, throw a curveball like, "Juan doesn't believe that I live here," and suddenly, it's a subjunctive party! In Spanish, the subjunctive steps in, as in Juan no cree que yo viva aquí, giving live a stylish mood makeover.
Now, here's where it gets exciting: think of the subjunctive as your very own subjective reality. When we say, "Juan doesn't believe/like/want, etc. that…," we're diving headfirst into his feelings about my home address. So, if Juan decides to express his emotions, wishes, doubts, or judgment about the situation, that's our cue to let the subjunctive shine. Keep in mind, the subjunctive is all about subjectivity - it doesn't pass judgment on the truth or falsehood of the information. Instead, it's all about the speaker's vibe and perception.
Now, let's not forget the nitty-gritty – the subjunctive endings for regular verbs, in the present subjunctive tense. Mastering these conjugations is the golden ticket to subjunctive mastery!
yo
tú
él / ella / usted
nosotros / nosotras
vosotros / vosotras
ellos / ellas / ustedes
-e
-es
-e
-emos
-éis
-en
hable
hables
hable
hablemos
habléis
hablen
-a
-as
-a
-amos
-áis
-an
aprenda
aprendas
aprenda
aprendamos
aprendáis
aprendan
viva
vivas
viva
vivamos
viváis
vivan
Naturally, to sprinkle some extra excitement into the mix, the Spanish subjunctive spices things up even further with unique conjugations for those playful stem-changing and unpredictable irregular verbs. We'll reveal those delightful twists a bit further down the road in our learning journey.
It’s easy to wonder, "How on earth can I master this subjunctive thing?" Well, there's no magic shortcut, especially if Spanish isn't your native tongue. But instead of overthinking its meaning (all that emotional, hypothetical, and subjective stuff), let's talk about "triggers." Think of them as secret codes that shout, "Subjunctive alert!" in your brain as you say them. Practice makes perfect, so keep these triggers on your mental radar, and before you know it, this will become second nature!
Here are the most important ones.
These are your go-to verbs when it's all about expressing will, desire, doubt, or influence.
¿Quieres que compre una pizza o prefieres que cocine para ti?
(Would you like me to buy a pizza or would you prefer me to cook for you?)
Me hace ilusión que me cuentes todo sobre tu viaje.
(I'm looking forward to hearing all about your trip.)
Tengo ganas de que vengan todos mis amigos a mi fiesta.
(I can't wait for all my friends to come to my party.)
A Noelia le encanta que su novio la llame todos los días.
(Noelia loves it when her boyfriend calls her every day.)
El profesor prohibe que usemos calculadoras en el examen de matemáticas.
(The teacher forbids us to use calculators on the math test.)
El gerente le exije a sus empleados que cumplan con su trabajo sin demoras.
(The manager demands that his employees do their jobs without delay.)
In the examples above, pay attention to the shift in subjects when moving from the main sentence to the subordinate clause. In that scenario:
If verb 1 (V1) and verb 2 (V2) have a different subject (change of subject)
V1 + que + V2 in subjunctive mood
Example: Mi madre quiere que yo juegue al béisbol.
(My mother wants me to play baseball.)
Dudo que la lasaña esté lista en diez minutos.
(I doubt the lasagna will be ready in ten minutes.)
But, if V1 and V2 have the same subject:
V1 + V2 in infinitive form (no subjunctive required)
Example: Quiero aprender a tocar la guitarra.
(I want to learn to play the guitar.)
Necesitamos ir de compras este fin de semana.
(We need to go shopping this weekend.)
The expressions below are like secret keys that unlock the subjunctive's magical powers. When you use them, you're basically waving the subjunctive flag, signaling, "Hey, it's subjunctive time!" Why? because you're commenting on, recommending, or advising something. So, let’s explore this intriguing world of the subjunctive where your opinions and recommendations come to life making your conversations in Spanish more natural and authentic.
Es / parece:
normal
raro
bueno / malo
suficiente
necesario
lógico
natural
interesante
importante
dificil
mejor / peor
posible
dudoso
necesario
Using infinitive (no subjunctive required):
Es necesario estudiar para aprobar el examen.
(Studying is required to pass the exam.)
Es importante beber mucha agua cuando hace calor.
(It is important to drink plenty of water in hot weather.)
Parece difícil terminar el examen en solo 30 minutos.
(It seems difficult to finish the exam in only 30 minutes.)
With a person as a subject (we have to use the subjunctive):
Es necesario que estudies para aprobar el examen.
(You need to study to pass the exam.)
Es importante que bebas mucha agua cuando hace calor.
(It is important that you drink plenty of water in hot weather.)
Parece difícil que termines el examen en solo 30 minutos.
(It seems difficult that you finish the exam in only 30 minutes.)
By now, you probably realized that the subjunctive isn't just a grammar tool; it's a subtle guide through the shades of uncertainty. When certainty is put into question, the subjunctive emerges as a linguistic ally triggered by the following negative expressions:
No es verdad que
No parece cierto que
No es seguro que
No es evidente que
No está claro que
No creo que
No es seguro que la energía nuclear contamine.
(It's not certain that nuclear energy pollutes.)
No creo que mis padres vengan a mi casa para Navidad.
(I don't think my parents will come to my house for Christmas.)
No es verdad que la gente abandone sus propósitos la primera semana.
(It is not true that people give up their resolutions the first week.)
Expressions such as ojalá, ¡que … !, quizás, probablemente, and posiblemente use the subjunctive to convey desires for the present or aspirations for the future, shaping the narrative of what is hoped for or anticipated.
Ojalá que nos visiten pronto.
(I hope you visit us soon.)
Ojalá que Sara apruebe el examen.
(Hopefully Sara will pass the exam.)
Ojalá este año encuentres un buen trabajo.
(May you get a good job this year.)
Que tengas un buen día and expressions alike (where we are omitting the first part: “I hope that you” have a nice day)
¡Que tengas suerte!
(Good luck to you!)
¡Que tengas buen viaje!
(Have a good trip!)
When you're talking about the chance that something might happen, bring in expressions like quizás or tal vez, or sprinkle in adverbs like probablemente or posiblemente.
Quizás haga sol mañana.
(Maybe it will be sunny tomorrow.)
Quizás Santo Domingo sea la capital con más edificios coloniales.
(Maybe Santo Domingo is the capital city with the most colonial buildings.)
Tal vez salga a correr después del trabajo.
(Maybe I'll go for a run after work.)
Posiblemente este sea el peor momento para comprar una casa.
(Possibly this is the worst time to buy a house.)
Subjunctive with future meaning: if the main sentence is in the future tense or you're using certain adverbial conjunctions and the action hasn't quite wrapped up yet, that's when the subjunctive steps onto the stage. Here are some conjunctions that trigger the “subjunctive alert”!
Tan pronto como
En cuanto
Después de que
De modo que
De manera que
Así que
Mientras que
Para que
Hasta que
Después de que vuelvan, harán el trabajo.
(After they come back, they will do the job.)
Me quedaré aquí hasta que llegue el tren.
(I'll stay here until the train arrives.)
Tan pronto como pare la lluvia, saldremos a cenar.
(As soon as the rain stops, we will go out for dinner.)
The subjunctive also follows cuando, as in “when this happens, in the future…”).
Cuando sea mayor quiero ser piloto.
(When I grow up I want to be a pilot.)
Cuando Juan llegue mañana te llamará.
(When Juan arrives tomorrow he will call you.)
Avísame cuando llegues.
(Let me know when you arrive.)
The subjunctive also kicks in when we are describing someone or something whose existence is a bit of a mystery, hypothetical, uncertain, or even non-existent from the speaker's point of view.
Necesito un auto que no cueste mucho.
(I need a car that doesn't cost too much.)
No hay nadie que tenga tanta suerte como tú.
(There is no one who is as lucky as you.)
Escoge la clase que más te guste.
(Pick the class you like best.)
Busco un secretario que sepa francés.
(I'm looking for a secretary who knows French.)
With aunque (even if), to refer to something that may/may not happen later, in the future. With quizás (maybe), to state something that may/may not be true.
The subjunctive works its magic with aunque (even if) when we talk about something that might happen in the future — keeping the door open for what ifs. And if we are juggling possibilities with quizás (maybe), the subjunctive adds a touch of uncertainty to the mix, allowing for those moments of "could be, could not be."
Aunque estés cansado debes estudiar para el examen.
(Even if you are tired you should study for the exam.)
Voy a salir más tarde aunque llueva mucho.
(I'm going to go out later even if it rains a lot.)
Quizás California sea el estado con más hablantes de español.
(Maybe California is the state with the most Spanish speakers.)
Para que
Antes de que
A menos que
En caso de que
A no ser que
A condición de que
Con tal que
Sin que
Nunca compro nada a menos que tenga el dinero en efectivo.
(I never buy anything unless I have the cash.)
No salimos de noche sin que nuestros padres lo sepan.
(We don't go out at night without our parents knowing.)
Dejamos un recado en caso de que vengan nuestros amigos y no estemos.
(We left a message in case our friends come over and we're not here.)
As we promised, here are some of those unpredictable irregular verbs in the present subjunctive.
quepa
quepas
quepa
quepamos
quepáis
quepan
dé
des
dé
demos
deis
den
esté
estés
esté
estemos
estéis
estén
haya
hayas
haya
hayamos
hayáis
hayan
vaya
vayas
vaya
vayamos
vayáis
vayan
sepa
sepas
sepa
sepamos
sepáis
sepan
Ser
sea
seas
sea
seamos
seáis
sean
vea
veas
vea
veamos
veáis
vean
And here are some of those playful stem-changing verbs in the present subjunctive.
pida
pidas
pida
pidamos
pidáis
pidan
Other verbs with the same conjugation:
quiera
quieras
quiera
queramos
queráis
quieran
Other verbs with the same conjugation:
sienta
sientas
sienta
sintamos
sintáis
sientan
Other verbs with the same conjugation:
pueda
puedas
pueda
podamos
podáis
puedan
Other verbs with the same conjugation:
duerma
duermas
duerma
durmamos
durmáis
duerman
Other verbs with the same conjugation:
juegue
juegues
juegue
juguemos
juguéis
jueguen
It works exactly the same. You just have to memorize some more conjugations!
Karen Anchante is a content writer at Berges Institute.