You already know the indicative (present, preterite, imperfect). It states facts and things you are sure about. The subjunctive is the verb mood for what someone wants, feels, doubts or thinks is important about what someone else does. Below: the formula, the four triggers, how to conjugate, the changers, and practice you can quiz yourself on. All the examples use words from our unit Hogar, dulce hogar.
every subjunctive sentence in this unit follows the same pattern
Two parts, joined by que. The first part has a verb in the indicative. The second part has a different subject and a verb in the subjunctive.
the formula needs a change in subject. Here is what that means, one step at a time.
The subject is the person or thing that does the verb. To find it, spot the verb and ask, "Who does this?"
Instead of repeating a name, use a subject pronoun. Mi mamá becomes ella. Mis hermanos becomes ellos. Juan y yo becomes nosotros.
Mixed groups and all-male groups use -os (nosotros, ellos). All-female groups use -as (nosotras, ellas).
In a subjunctive sentence, one person has the wish, feeling or doubt. A different person does the action.
Spanish often leaves the pronoun out because the verb ending already tells you who it is.
In the subjunctive, yo and él / ella / Ud. share one form (limpie), so the pronoun often stays in the sentence: que yo limpie and que ella limpie.
Use this on any sentence.
the first part of the sentence has to express one of these. Spot the trigger and you know the subjunctive comes next.
the four triggers at work, using words from our house unit
the "gotchas" worth memorizing early
If the same person wants and does the action, skip que and the subjunctive. Use the infinitive.
✓ No quiero limpiar el ático.
✗ No quiero que yo limpie el ático.
Impersonal expressions work the same way. Es urgente que limpies el horno names who does it, so use the subjunctive. Es urgente limpiar el horno hoy names no one, so use the infinitive.
When decir means say (a fact), use the indicative. When it means tell someone to do something, use the subjunctive.
Mis padres siempre dicen que yo exagero mucho.
Mis padres me dicen que yo limpie mi cuarto.
Context tells you which one it is.
Verbs like gustar, encantar, molestar, preocupar, fascinar, sorprender take an indirect object (me, te, le, nos, les). Before que the verb stays singular: me gusta que, me molesta que, me encanta que.
Me alegra que vengas al club.
It makes me glad that you are coming to the club.
Me alegro de que vengas al club.
I am glad that you are coming to the club.
Verbs and expressions of certainty (creer, pensar, estar seguro/a de que, no dudar, es verdad, es claro, es obvio, es evidente, es seguro) are not WIDE verbs. Use the indicative. When you make them negative they express doubt, so use the subjunctive. Dudar is already doubt.
three steps work for almost every verb. It is the present tense with the "opposite" ending.
Start with the present tense yo form.
Take the -o off the end.
-ar verbs take -e. -er and -ir verbs take -a.
the yo-form rule still works. These three groups just need a closer look.
Stem-changing verbs keep the same change. Stem-changing -ir verbs also change in nosotros and vosotros: e → i or o → u.
The spelling changes in every form to keep the hard c, g and z sounds before an e.
You can spot them because the yo form does not end in -o: doy, estoy, voy, sé, soy. The subjunctive of hay is haya.
use que + the subjunctive for a softer request. It means "let him do it" or "I hope you do it."
the house vocabulary behind the sentences above. Cover the right side and quiz yourself.
Tap a card to reveal it. For typed practice, type your answer and press Check. The verb in parentheses is the one to conjugate.
Find who wants, feels or doubts (subject 1) and who does the action (subject 2). Some sentences have only one subject. Decide first, then tap to check.
Say the yo form, then the subjunctive form, then tap to check.
Type the subjunctive form that fits the sentence.
Watch for -car, -gar, -zar, and for dar, estar, ir, saber, ser and hay.
Name the trigger: W (wish), I (impersonal opinion), D (doubt), E (emotion). Then tap to check.
Tap the right verb. A wrong tap lets you try again.
Same subject means infinitive. A change of subject means que + subjunctive.
Turn the direct command into an indirect command.
Say the sentence in Spanish, then tap for a model answer. Yours can be different.