- Understand what the subjunctive mood is and when to use it
- Master the WEIRDO triggers for present subjunctive
- Form the present subjunctive for regular, stem-changing, and irregular verbs
- Recognise common phrases and expressions that require subjunctive
- Use present subjunctive naturally in conversation
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Present Subjunctive: Expressing Subjective or Uncertain Actions and States
What You'll Learn
Overview / Usage
The subjunctive is a mood (not a tense) used to express subjective or uncertain actions and states. Unlike the indicative mood which expresses facts and certainty, the subjunctive expresses emotions, doubts, wishes, and possibilities.
💭 Subjunctive vs Indicative
The subjunctive describes subjective or hypothetical situations, while the indicative describes facts and certainty.
Indicative (Facts):
"Creo que es verdad"
I think it's true
"Creo que es verdad"
I think it's true
Subjunctive (Doubt):
"No creo que sea verdad"
I don't think it's true
"No creo que sea verdad"
I don't think it's true
🔑 Key Concept: Two Subjects Required
The subjunctive nearly always requires two different subjects connected by "que":
Yo quiero que tú vengas (I want YOU to come) ✓ Subjunctive
Yo quiero venir (I want to come - same subject) ✗ No subjunctive, use infinitive
🎯 WEIRDO: When to Use Subjunctive
Remember WEIRDO to know when subjunctive is required:
W - Wishes & Wants
Quiero que...
Espero que...
Ojalá (que)...
Espero que...
Ojalá (que)...
E - Emotions
Me alegra que...
Temo que...
Es triste que...
Temo que...
Es triste que...
I - Impersonal Expressions
Es necesario que...
Es importante que...
Es posible que...
Es importante que...
Es posible que...
R - Recommendations
Recomiendo que...
Sugiero que...
Aconsejo que...
Sugiero que...
Aconsejo que...
D - Doubt/Denial
Dudo que...
No creo que...
No pienso que...
No creo que...
No pienso que...
O - Ojalá
Ojalá (que) llueva
Ojalá (que) vengas
Ojalá (que) sea verdad
Ojalá (que) vengas
Ojalá (que) sea verdad
Structure & Formation
📋 How to Form the Present Subjunctive
✓ Formation Steps:
- Start with the yo form of the present indicative (e.g., hablo, como, vivo)
- Drop the -o ending (e.g., habl-, com-, viv-)
- Add the "opposite vowel" endings:
- -ar verbs use -e endings (like -er verbs)
- -er/-ir verbs use -a endings (like -ar verbs)
Present Subjunctive Endings
-AR Verbs (hablar)
-e -es -e
-emos -éis -en
-emos -éis -en
-ER/-IR Verbs (comer/vivir)
-a -as -a
-amos -áis -an
-amos -áis -an
📊 Regular Verb Conjugation Tables
-AR: hablar (to speak)
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
yo hable I speak | nosotros hablemos we speak |
tú hables you speak | vosotros habléis you all speak |
él/ella hable he/she speaks | ellos/ellas hablen they speak |
-ER: comer (to eat)
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
yo coma I eat | nosotros comamos we eat |
tú comas you eat | vosotros comáis you all eat |
él/ella coma he/she eats | ellos/ellas coman they eat |
-IR: vivir (to live)
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
yo viva I live | nosotros vivamos we live |
tú vivas you live | vosotros viváis you all live |
él/ella viva he/she lives | ellos/ellas vivan they live |
⚡ Irregular Subjunctive Verbs
Some common verbs have completely irregular subjunctive forms that must be memorised. There are only 7 truly irregular verbs in the present subjunctive!
The "DISHES" Irregulars:
dar
(to give)
dé, des, dé...
ir
(to go)
vaya, vayas, vaya...
ser
(to be)
sea, seas, sea...
haber
(to have - aux)
haya, hayas, haya...
estar
(to be)
esté, estés, esté...
saber
(to know)
sepa, sepas, sepa...
ver
(to see)
vea, veas, vea...
📊 Irregular Subjunctive Tables
ser (to be)
Completely irregular
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
yo sea | nosotros seamos |
tú seas | vosotros seáis |
él/ella sea | ellos/ellas sean |
estar (to be)
Accent on é
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
yo esté | nosotros estemos |
tú estés | vosotros estéis |
él/ella esté | ellos/ellas estén |
ir (to go)
Completely irregular
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
yo vaya | nosotros vayamos |
tú vayas | vosotros vayáis |
él/ella vaya | ellos/ellas vayan |
haber (to have)
Irregular - hay → haya
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
yo haya | nosotros hayamos |
tú hayas | vosotros hayáis |
él/ella haya | ellos/ellas hayan |
saber (to know)
Irregular stem
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
yo sepa | nosotros sepamos |
tú sepas | vosotros sepáis |
él/ella sepa | ellos/ellas sepan |
dar (to give)
Accent on dé
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
yo dé | nosotros demos |
tú des | vosotros deis |
él/ella dé | ellos/ellas den |
ver (to see)
Irregular - veo → vea
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
yo vea | nosotros veamos |
tú veas | vosotros veáis |
él/ella vea | ellos/ellas vean |
Examples
💬 Common Subjunctive Trigger Phrases
These phrases always require the subjunctive in the dependent clause:
Wishes & Hopes
Espero que tengas un buen día
I hope you have a good day
Ojalá que llueva café
I hope it rains coffee
Quiero que vengas a la fiesta
I want you to come to the party
Emotions
Me alegra que estés aquí
I'm happy you're here
Temo que no lleguen a tiempo
I fear they won't arrive on time
Es triste que no puedas venir
It's sad that you can't come
Doubt & Uncertainty
Dudo que sea verdad
I doubt it's true
No creo que venga mañana
I don't think he's coming tomorrow
Es posible que llueva
It's possible it will rain
Recommendations
Te recomiendo que estudies más
I recommend that you study more
Es importante que lleguemos temprano
It's important that we arrive early
Es necesario que hables con él
It's necessary that you speak with him
⚖️ Subjunctive vs Indicative
The same verb can trigger different moods depending on certainty:
| Indicative (Certainty) | Subjunctive (Uncertainty) |
|---|---|
Creo que es verdad. I think it's true. (I believe it) | No creo que sea verdad. I don't think it's true. (I doubt it) |
Es cierto que viene mañana. It's certain he's coming tomorrow. | No es cierto que venga mañana. It's not certain he's coming tomorrow. |
Pienso que habla español. I think he speaks Spanish. | No pienso que hable español. I don't think he speaks Spanish. |
Gotchas / Common Mistakes
❌ Same Subject = Infinitive
When the subject is the same, use the infinitive, not subjunctive.
Wrong: Quiero que yo coma. ✗
Correct: Quiero comer. ✓
❌ Forgetting "que"
Don't forget "que" to connect the clauses (except with Ojalá).
Wrong: Espero vengas. ✗
Correct: Espero que vengas. ✓
❌ Creo que + Subjunctive
"Creo que" expresses certainty, so use indicative.
Wrong: Creo que sea verdad. ✗
Correct: Creo que es verdad. ✓
❌ Wrong Endings
-ar verbs use -e endings, -er/-ir verbs use -a endings.
Wrong: Que habla (indicative). ✗
Correct: Que hable (subjunctive). ✓
Quick Test / Mini Quiz
📝 Interactive Subjunctive Quiz
Test your knowledge of Spanish present subjunctive - formation and usage!
1
🗣️ Which sentence correctly uses the present subjunctive?
2
🎯 Complete: 'Dudo que _____ (ser) verdad.'
3
⚡ Which requires indicative, NOT subjunctive?
4
🔮 Complete: 'Me alegra que tú _____ (estar) aquí.'
5
💬 Complete: 'Es importante que nosotros _____ (hablar) español.'
6
🎬 Which is correct when you want something for yourself?
7
⚡ Which verb form is irregular in the present subjunctive?
8
✅ Which sentence is correct?
Useful Resources
Coming soon...