What is the subjuntivo (subjunctive) and when is it used in Spanish?
In our todays article about Spanish Grammar questions, we will answer this. As always at CELA Spanish School we will make the difficult easy.
The subjuntivo is quite simple. Unfortunately, like many other topics in Spanish grammar and Spanish classes, it is not well explained.
Before even thinking about the subjuntivo (B1 level) we make sure that our students use the indicative tenses and imperative well, since the subjuntivo is a kind of imperative.
The negative imperative and the presente de subjuntivo have the same conjugation in Spanish.
We have already explained in other lessons that in Spanish each tense has different irregular verbs to be studied. However, there are certain lines of irregularity. Verbs that are irregular in the present indicative mood are also irregular in the imperative and present subjunctive (presente de subjuntivo).
First step is to learn the conjugation of the presente de subjuntivo.
We are not going to explain it here. At the end of this article, you have the links to the video lessons of the subjuntivo in our youtube channel. There we explain the conjugation in detail, as well as in our online Spanish course B1.
We will concentrate on explaining the usage.
In general terms, we can say that we use the subjuntivo to talk about actions we expect from someone or something in a compound sentence with 2 different grammatical subjects.
A compound sentence has a verb and a subject in the first part and a second part with another grammatical subject different from the main sentence, in the case of the sentences with subjuntivo. Both parts are joined by the particle “que”.
Example:
Quiero (sujeto yo) que mi hija estudie español (sujeto mi hija).
The grammatical subjects of both sentences are different. And I am talking about something I want my daughter to do. I have an expectation about an action from her.
That is the general and broad function of the subjunctive. Now let’s get down to the details:
We never use the subjunctive in simple sentences. A simple sentence is a sentence with a grammatical subject, a verb, and a complement.
For example:
Mi hijo estudia español.
The subject can be in the plural:
Luis, María y Pedro viajan a Francia frecuentemente.
Sometimes in Spanish the subject is included in the verb:
Viajo a España una vez al año.
There is one exception to this rule: simple sentences that begin with ojalá, quizá, quizás, tal vez, tal vez, posiblemente and probablemente.
These simple sentences have the verb in the subjunctive. For example:
Ojalá no llueva este fin de semana.
Quizás vayamos al cine el sábado.
But these are the only ones.
In order to use the subjuntivo in Spanish we need 2 sentences: a main sentence and a subordinate one (that’s why it is called subjunctive) with 2 different grammatical subjects joined by the particle “que”.
In the main sentence we express an expectation about the action of the subject(s) of the subordinate sentence. The action we expect from another is in the subjunctive.
Mis abuelos quieren que viajemos a Londres juntos.
The action my grandparents expect of us goes in the subjunctive.
Espero que mañana no sea un día difícil.
We can also expect an action from something, in this case a day. The action or situation (expressed in the verb) that I expect from the day goes in the subjunctive.
That expectation can also be an assessment or an opinion about the action of something or someone. For example:
No es normal que llueva en agosto.
Es lógico que los niños estén distraídos, se pasan el día con el móvil.
No me gusta que mis vecinos pongan música a alto volumen.
But attention:
Not always when there are 2 sentences joined by “que” we will use the subjunctive.
Let’s see an example:
Luis tiene un hermano que habla chino.
Here Luis does not expect an action from his brother. Que habla chino explains more about his brother, that’s why we don’t use the subjunctive. It is a statement.
Here we do use it:
Luis espera que su hermano le traiga un regalo de China.
Here Luis expects an action from his brother. The action of his brother which is expected by Luis is in the subjunctive.
In the next article: Indicativo o Subjuntivo? We explain more cases in which we use the subjunctive in Spanish.
In CELA we taught the subjunctive for the first time in the B1 online Spanish course, and we will go deeper in the B2 online Spanish course.
We leave at the end the links to the video classes of the subjunctive on our Youtube channel.
I hope you found the explanation useful.
Nos vemos en la próxima clase.
Spanish Subjunctive conjugation regular verbs:
Spanish Present Subjunctive irregular verbs
Spanish Present Subjunctive in Main Sentences with ojalá
Subjuntivo in compound sentences
Contrast indicativo subjuntivo in sentences with verbs of thought and senses
Subjuntivo in sentences with cuando
Subjuntivo in sentences with para que
Subjuntivo in sentences with gustar
Want to know more?
About the author: Sabine Loffler has a degree in Literature from UCV in Venezuela, a PhD in Hispanic Philology from UNED in Spain, a Specialist in Distance and Adult Education from UNED, has been teaching Spanish since 1992, is the founder of CELA Spanish School and is a Spanish teacher trainer.
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