Learn Spanish Grammar Intro to the Subjunctive Mood

Learn Spanish Grammar Intro to the Subjunctive Mood Sign up successful So, whats next once  you can communicate the basics comfortably and confidently? Advanced students who want to take their knowledge beyond basic communication can now begin learning about the Spanish subjunctive, usually taught in the third, fourth, or fifth  year in schools or universities. To speak Spanish well, knowing when to use the Spanish  subjunctive is indispensable. Why the Subjunctive is Important to Learn It’s ubiquitous in the language. Using it makes you sound like you really know how to speak Spanish competently. It enables you to tune into and express beautiful subtleties of the language that aren’t so clear or simply don’t exist in English. It allows you to express your point or opinion with more specificity. It has been referred to as a key indicator that distinguishes a fluent speaker who merely “gets by” learning the language from  one who speaks it well. You cannot speak as proficiently as native Spanish speakers without learning it. So, What is the Spanish Subjunctive? Although its commonly referred to as the subjunctive tense in Spanish, its actually more of a mood, which acts as a category of tenses. Youll know when to use Spanish subjunctive when youre trying to imply an uncertainty about a given situation (more on this below). Conjugating the Spanish Subjunctive Conjugating the subjunctive is  similar to forming  formal commands  in Spanish. The steps are outlined below: Additional Examples To clarify and provide a reference point, let’s compare subjunctive verb conjugation to present indicative (normal) verb conjugation. Here are some key examples: hablar (to talk) vivir (to live) Here’s another example with the  slightly irregular verb llegar, meaning ‘to arrive.’ Here the a  turns into  ue,  instead of just e. (See my previous post on Spanish stem-changing verbs to clarify this.) llegar (to arrive) When to Use  the Present Subjunctive Llegar  will be the example used throughout the following 10 key contexts for using the  present subjunctive. Context #1:  When the subordinate clause has elements that express doubt or negation Es difícil que lleguen a tiempo. (It’s hard for them to arrive on time.) No creo que lleguen a tiempo. (I don’t think they’ll arrive on time.) Dudo que lleguen a tiempo. (I doubt they’ll arrive on time.) Context #2:  When the subordinate clause has elements that express desire, fear, judgment, or other emotions/feelings Ojalá/espero que lleguen a tiempo. (I hope they arrive on time.) Temo que lleguen a tiempo. (I’m scared they will arrive on time.) Es triste que lleguen a tiempo. (It’s sad they arrive on time.) Estoy feliz de que lleguen a tiempo. (I’m happy they arrive on time.) ¡Qué bueno que lleguen a tiempo! (It’s good they arrive on time!) Quisiera que llegaran a tiempo. (I would like them to arrive on time.) Es raro/extraño que lleguen a tiempo. (It’s odd they arrive on time.) Context #3:  When the subordinate clause has elements that express possibility Es probable que lleguen a tiempo. (It’s probable they arrive on time.) Es posible que lleguen a tiempo. (It’s possible they arrive on time.) Quizá lleguen a tiempo. (Maybe they arrive on time.) Puede que lleguen a tiempo. (It could be that they arrive on time) Note:  Many competent Spanish-speakers don’t employ the subjunctive in these contexts to consciously or unconsciously communicate less doubt in the possibility. Context #4:  When the subordinate clause has elements that express need Es necesario que lleguen a tiempo. (It’s necessary they arrive on time.) Necesito que lleguen a tiempo. (I need them to arrive on time.) Es preciso que lleguen a tiempo. (It’s essential they arrive on time.) Context #5:  When the subordinate clause has elements that express an expected pattern Es normal que lleguen a tiempo. (It’s normal that they arrive on time.) Es lógico que lleguen a tiempo. (It’s logical that they arrive on time.) Es frecuente que lleguen a tiempo. (It’s frequent they arrive on time.) Es razonable que lleguen a tiempo. (It’s reasonable they arrive on time.) Context #6:  When the subordinate clause has elements that express specificity Quiero una novia que sea guapa. (I want a girlfriend who  is pretty.) Context #7:  When the subordinate clause refers to a past event before it occurred [past subjunctive] Ya supe eso antes de que viniera Juan. (I knew that before Juan arrived.) Context #8:  When the subordinate clause introduces depends on the main clause Eso depende de qué hora lleguen. (That depends on what time they arrive.) Context #9:  When the subordinate clause directly causes or affects the main clause El clima hace que no lleguen a tiempo. (The weather makes them not arrive on time.) El clima permite que lleguen a tiempo. (The weather allows them to arrive on time.) Context #10: In some cases, when the subordinate clause introduces a fact El hecho de que lleguen a tiempo significa que  son  punctual. (The fact that they arrive on time means they are punctual.) It’s important to note that there are other important contexts where the subjunctive mood is employed that I didn’t mention here. Also, the subjunctive follows a whole new set of rules in the past tense (i.e. the past subjunctive). My goal here was to highlight the most common contexts for using the present subjunctive. A Spanish tutor  can really help you master this tricky yet indispensable aspect of the language. If you’ve learned the Spanish subjunctive, you clearly know your Spanish! Post Author:  Jason N. Jason N. tutors in English and Spanish in Fairfax, CA.  He majored in Spanish at UC Davis, lived in Mexico for 3 years where he completed a Masters degree in Counseling, and studied Spanish Literature and Psychology at the University of Costa Rica. Learn more about Jason here!   Photo by  Bill Dickinson Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher