Spanish Subjunctive: A Simple Guide With Examples
How this guide was made. The rules follow the Real Academia Española and Instituto Cervantes reference materials listed at the end. The example sentences are standard in Latin America and Spain unless a note says otherwise. It explains the grammar and does not claim classroom testing.
The Spanish subjunctive is a mood, not a tense: it expresses wishes, doubts, emotions and things that are not established facts. To form the present subjunctive, take the yo form of the present tense, drop the -o, and add the “opposite” vowel: -e endings for -ar verbs and -a endings for -er and -ir verbs. You use it in clauses introduced by que after triggers such as quiero que, espero que, dudo que and es importante que.
What the subjunctive is
Spanish has three moods. The indicative states facts (Ella viene mañana), the imperative gives commands (Ven mañana), and the subjunctive expresses what is wished, doubted, feared or not yet real (Quiero que ella venga mañana). English has a faint version of it (I suggest that he go), but Spanish uses it far more often.
A useful rule: if the first part of the sentence expresses a wish, an emotion, a doubt or a value judgment (es mejor que), the verb after que goes in the subjunctive. Beliefs and certainty (creo que, es verdad que) take the indicative.
- Quiero que vengas. (I want you to come.)
- Espero que lleguen pronto. (I hope they arrive soon.)
How to form the present subjunctive
- Start with the yo form of the present tense: hablo, como, vivo, tengo.
- Drop the -o: habl-, com-, viv-, teng-.
- Add the opposite endings.
| -ar (hablar) | -er (comer) | -ir (vivir) | tener | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hable | coma | viva | tenga |
| tú | hables | comas | vivas | tengas |
| él, ella, usted | hable | coma | viva | tenga |
| nosotros | hablemos | comamos | vivamos | tengamos |
| vosotros | habléis | comáis | viváis | tengáis |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes | hablen | coman | vivan | tengan |
Because the stem comes from the yo form, irregular yo forms carry over: tener gives tenga, hacer gives haga, decir gives diga, poner gives ponga, salir gives salga, venir gives venga, conocer gives conozca and traer gives traiga.
Stem-changing and spelling-change verbs
- Stem changes appear in the same forms as the present: pensar gives piense, pienses, piense, pensemos, penséis, piensen, and poder gives pueda, puedas, pueda, podamos, podáis, puedan.
- -ir stem-changers also change in nosotros and vosotros: dormir gives duerma … durmamos, durmáis … duerman, and pedir gives pida … pidamos, pidáis … pidan.
- Spelling changes keep the sound: buscar gives busque, llegar gives llegue, empezar gives empiece, escoger gives escoja and seguir gives siga.
Six verbs that do not follow the rule
| Verb | Present subjunctive |
|---|---|
| dar | dé, des, dé, demos, deis, den |
| estar | esté, estés, esté, estemos, estéis, estén |
| haber | haya, hayas, haya, hayamos, hayáis, hayan |
| ir | vaya, vayas, vaya, vayamos, vayáis, vayan |
| saber | sepa, sepas, sepa, sepamos, sepáis, sepan |
| ser | sea, seas, sea, seamos, seáis, sean |
Look at the charts for ser, estar, ir, saber and dar to see the subjunctive forms next to every other tense.
When to use the subjunctive
| Trigger | Examples |
|---|---|
| Wishes and influence (querer que, preferir que, pedir que, aconsejar que) | Quiero que vengas. Prefiero que te quedes. Te pido que me ayudes. |
| Emotions (alegrarse de que, sentir que = be sorry, temer que, me molesta que) | Me alegra que estés aquí. Siento que no puedas venir. Temo que llegue tarde. |
| Doubt and denial (dudar que, no creer que, no pensar que) | Dudo que sea verdad. No creo que llueva. No pienso que tengan razón. |
| Impersonal expressions of value or possibility (es importante que, es posible que, es mejor que) | Es importante que estudies. Es posible que llegue tarde. Es mejor que salgamos ya. |
| Ojalá | Ojalá haga buen tiempo mañana. |
| Certain conjunctions (para que, antes de que, sin que, a menos que, con tal de que, en caso de que) | Te llamo para que sepas la verdad. Sal antes de que llueva. |
| Time words about the future (cuando, hasta que, en cuanto, después de que) | Cuando llegues, llámame. Espera hasta que termine. |
| Unknown or nonexistent things (relative clauses) | Busco un hotel que tenga piscina. No hay nadie que sepa la respuesta. |
| Commands (usted, ustedes, negative tú, nosotros) | Hable más despacio. No comas eso. Hablemos. |
Indicative or subjunctive?
The same trigger can take either mood depending on whether you present something as a fact or as uncertain.
| Indicative (fact) | Subjunctive (doubt, wish or not yet real) |
|---|---|
| Creo que tiene razón. (I think she is right.) | No creo que tenga razón. (I do not think she is right.) |
| Es verdad que llueve. | No es verdad que llueva. |
| Cuando llego, saludo a todos. (habit) | Cuando llegue, te llamo. (future) |
| Esperé hasta que llegó. (past) | Espera hasta que llegue. (not yet happened) |
| Conozco un hotel que tiene piscina. (a specific hotel) | Busco un hotel que tenga piscina. (any hotel with one) |
| Aunque está lloviendo, salimos. (although it is raining, new information) | Aunque llueva, saldremos. (even if it rains) |
| No dudo que es verdad. | Dudo que sea verdad. |
Expressions of certainty such as es verdad que and es obvio que take the indicative, while doubting or denying them (no es verdad que, dudo que) takes the subjunctive. Aunque with the subjunctive can also treat a known fact as irrelevant: Aunque esté lloviendo, salimos (we both know it is raining, and we go out anyway). Quizás and tal vez take either mood, and the subjunctive shows more doubt, while a lo mejor almost always takes the indicative.
Same subject: use the infinitive
After verbs of wanting, hoping or feeling, and after para, sin and antes de, Spanish uses an infinitive when the subject stays the same and que plus the subjunctive when it changes:
- Quiero ir. (I want to go.) but Quiero que vayas. (I want you to go.)
- Estudio para aprender. (I study to learn.) but Estudio para que aprendas. (I study so that you learn.)
- Salgo antes de comer. (I leave before eating.) but Salgo antes de que comas. (I leave before you eat.)
Other triggers ignore the subject. Time clauses keep the subjunctive even when the subject stays the same (Cuando llegue, te llamo), and so do ojalá and doubt (Dudo que pueda ir).
The imperfect and perfect subjunctive
After a trigger in the past, or in “if” clauses about unreal situations, Spanish uses the imperfect subjunctive. To form it, take the third-person plural of the preterite, drop -ron and add -ra endings: hablaron gives hablara, hablaras, hablara, habláramos, hablarais, hablaran, and tuvieron gives tuviera, tuvieras, tuviera. There is a second set ending in -se (hablase, hablases), and the two are interchangeable in most contexts.
- Quería que vinieras. (I wanted you to come.)
- Dudaba que fuera verdad. (I doubted it was true.)
- Si tuviera tiempo, viajaría más. (If I had time, I would travel more.)
The present perfect subjunctive combines haya and a past participle: Espero que hayas llegado bien. (I hope you arrived safely.)
Which level is the subjunctive?
The Instituto Cervantes curriculum plan introduces the present subjunctive at B1, with the basic triggers: ojalá, quizá and tal vez, quiero que, antes de que, para que, cuando with a future meaning, and no creo que. B2 adds relative clauses about something unknown, aunque for indifference, and the imperfect, perfect and pluperfect subjunctive. C1 adds triggers such as a menos que and en caso de que.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quiero que voy. | Quiero ir. or Quiero que vayas. | Wishes need the infinitive (same subject) or the subjunctive (new subject). |
| No creo que es verdad. | No creo que sea verdad. | Doubt and denial take the subjunctive. |
| Creo que sea simpático. | Creo que es simpático. | Affirmative creer que is a statement, so use the indicative. |
| Espero que tiene tiempo. | Espero que tenga tiempo. | Wishes and hopes take the subjunctive. |
| Ojalá tienes suerte. | Ojalá tengas suerte. | Ojalá takes the subjunctive. |
| Cuando llegue cada día, saludo. | Cuando llego cada día, saludo. | Habits use the indicative after cuando. |
Quick quiz
Put each verb in the right form:
- Quiero que tú ___ (venir) a mi fiesta.
- Es importante que nosotros ___ (estudiar).
- Dudo que ella ___ (saber) la respuesta.
- Mañana, cuando yo ___ (llegar) a casa, te llamo.
- Busco una casa que ___ (tener) jardín.
- Creo que él ___ (ser) muy simpático.
- Me alegro de que ustedes ___ (poder) venir.
- Ojalá ___ (hacer) buen tiempo mañana.
Show the answers
- vengas (a wish, new subject).
- estudiemos (an impersonal value judgment).
- sepa (doubt).
- llegue (a time word about the future).
- tenga (a house not yet identified).
- es (affirmative creer que takes the indicative).
- puedan (an emotion).
- haga (ojalá).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the subjunctive in Spanish?
The subjunctive is a mood used for wishes, doubts, emotions, value judgments and situations that are not established facts. It contrasts with the indicative, which states facts, and it usually appears in a clause introduced by que.
When do you use the subjunctive in Spanish?
Use it after triggers of wishes and influence, emotions, doubt and denial, impersonal expressions such as es importante que, and after ojalá. It also follows para que, antes de que and sin que, time words about the future and relative clauses about something unknown.
How do you form the present subjunctive?
Take the yo form of the present, drop the -o and add -e, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en to -ar verbs, or -a, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an to -er and -ir verbs. Irregular yo forms carry over, as in tener to tenga.
Which verbs are irregular in the present subjunctive?
Six verbs do not follow the yo-form rule: dar (dé), estar (esté), haber (haya), ir (vaya), saber (sepa) and ser (sea). Stem-changing and spelling-change verbs also have adjustments, as in piense and busque.
Do you use the subjunctive after creer que?
Not in the affirmative: Creo que es verdad takes the indicative. In the negative, No creo que sea verdad takes the subjunctive, because you are expressing doubt.
What is the difference between cuando llego and cuando llegue?
Cuando llego refers to a habit or a present fact, and cuando llegue refers to a future moment that has not happened yet. Cuando llego, saludo means you greet whenever you arrive, and Cuando llegue, te llamo means you will call on arrival.
What is the imperfect subjunctive used for?
It is used after a trigger in a past tense, as in Quería que vinieras, and in unreal “if” clauses, as in Si tuviera tiempo, viajaría más. It is formed from the third-person plural preterite with -ra or -se endings.
Do you use the subjunctive when the subject does not change?
Not after wanting or feeling verbs, which take an infinitive instead: Quiero ir rather than Quiero que voy. Time clauses and ojalá can keep the subjunctive even when the subject stays the same, as in Cuando llegue, te llamo.
What level is the Spanish subjunctive?
The Instituto Cervantes curriculum plan introduces the present subjunctive at B1, with basic triggers such as ojalá, quiero que and para que. The imperfect and perfect subjunctive and more advanced uses follow at B2 and C1.
Sources and how this was researched
This guide explains grammar from published reference works and does not claim classroom testing. Main sources:
- Real Academia Española: the Nueva gramática básica on mood and subordination and on the verbs and expressions that trigger a mood
- Real Academia Española: the Nueva gramática de la lengua española on mood choice after prepositions and adverbs, on the infinitive in noun clauses and on concessive clauses
- Real Academia Española: the Diccionario panhispánico de dudas entries for ojalá and mejor (a lo mejor) and its conjugation models, and El buen uso del español on the subjunctive tenses
- Instituto Cervantes: the Plan curricular del Instituto Cervantes, grammar inventory for levels B1 to B2 and functions inventory for levels B1 to B2, for the level at which each use is introduced