Spanish subjunctive
The subjunctive isn’t a tense. It’s a mood, a way of marking that a verb is wished for, doubted, felt about or not yet real, rather than stated as fact. It almost always appears after que, in a second clause with a different subject.
Switch the trigger, watch the mood
Quiero que vengas mañana.
Subjunctive. Wanting someone else to do something always takes the subjunctive.
How to form it
- Start from the yo form of the present: hablo, como, tengo, conozco.
- Drop the final -o: habl-, com-, teng-, conozc-.
- Add the “opposite vowel” endings: -ar verbs take e, -er/-ir verbs take a.
| hablar | comer | tener | |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hable | coma | tenga |
| tú | hables | comas | tengas |
| él | hable | coma | tenga |
| nosotros | hablemos | comamos | tengamos |
| vosotros | habléis | comáis | tengáis |
| ellos | hablen | coman | tengan |
Because it starts from the yo form, every yo-go and -zco irregularity carries through: hacer → haga, decir → diga, poner → ponga, conocer → conozca. Spelling changes keep the sound: buscar → busque, llegar → llegue, empezar → empiece.
The six irregulars (DISHES)
| Verb | yo / él | nosotros |
|---|---|---|
| dar | dé | demos |
| ir | vaya | vayamos |
| ser | sea | seamos |
| haber | haya | hayamos |
| estar | esté | estemos |
| saber | sepa | sepamos |
Same subject? Use the infinitive
If both clauses share a subject, Spanish uses an infinitive instead of que + subjunctive: Quiero ir (I want to go) vs Quiero que vayas (I want you to go).
Conjunctions that always take the subjunctive
para que, antes de que, sin que, a menos que, con tal de que, en caso de que. And cuando, hasta que, en cuanto, tan pronto como take it when the action is still in the future: Te llamo cuando llegue.
Frequently asked questions
How do you form the present subjunctive in Spanish?
Take the yo form of the present indicative, drop the -o, and add the “opposite” endings: -e, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en for -ar verbs and -a, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an for -er/-ir verbs. Hablo → hable, tengo → tenga, conozco → conozca.
When do you use the subjunctive in Spanish?
Mainly in a clause introduced by que when the main clause expresses a wish, emotion, doubt, denial, necessity or an impersonal judgement, and the two clauses have different subjects: Quiero que vengas. Also after certain conjunctions (para que, antes de que, a menos que) and with future-time cuando.
What does WEIRDO stand for?
WEIRDO is a mnemonic for subjunctive triggers: Wishes, Emotions, Impersonal expressions, Recommendations, Doubt/Denial and Ojalá.
Which verbs are irregular in the present subjunctive?
Six verbs don’t follow the yo-form rule: ser (sea), estar (esté), ir (vaya), saber (sepa), haber (haya) and dar (dé). Remember them as DISHES.