The Present Subjunctive



The Present Subjunctive

Subjunctive endings are really opposite endings. What do we mean by that? Look at the subjunctive endings for -ar, and -er and -ir verbs:

Subjunctive Endings for -AR Verbs, with example

-e  -emos

-es  -íes

-e  -en

hablar

hable  hablemos

hables  habléis

hable  hablen

Subjunctive Endings for -ER and -IR Verbs, with examples

-a  -amos

-as  -ais

-a  -an

comer

coma  comamos

comas  comáis

coma  coman

vivir

viva  vivamos

vivas  viváis

viva  vivan

Notice that the first and third person formations are the same.

Formation of the Present Subjunctive

You learned that in order to form the Present Tense of the verbs that you had to take off the -AR, -ER, or -IR and put on the endings, right?

Well, with the subjunctive what we have to do is start from the first person singular present and then take off the '-o' and finally add the subjunctive endings. The reason for this is that the verbs with irregular first persons (like hago, digo, conduzco, etc. keep the 'g' or 'zc' in the subjunctive. If that were not so, you could simply substitute that subjunctive endings for the regular endings. 

So, above you already have examples of verbs which follow the regular pattern. Let's look at one verb which has a 'g' in the first person present, and another which has 'zc':

decir First person singular: digo (Other –go verbs: caer, hacer, oír, poner, salir, tener, traer, venir)

diga  digamos

digas  digáis

diga  digan

 

conocer 1st person singular: conozco (Other –zco verbs: traducir, conducir, nacer, parecer,

conozca conozcamos

conozcas conozcáis

conozca conozcan

Some additional verbs which are irregular in the yo form present.

Caber- quepo

Construir, destruir, huir- Construyo, destruyo, huyo

Ver- veo

Stem changing verbs

For -ar and -er stem-changing verbs, the formula applies except that there is no stem change in the nosotros and vosotros forms. Study these examples:

pensar (yo pienso)

piense pensemos

pienses penséis

piense piensen

volver (yo vuelvo)

vuelva volvamos

vuelvas volváis

vuelva vuelvan

For -ir stem-changing verbs, the formula applies except that the stem change in the nosotros and vosotros forms follows these patterns: o:ue verbs change o to u; e:ie verbs change e to i; e:i verbs change e to i. Study these examples:

dormir (yo duermo)

duerma durmamos

duermas durmáis

duerma duerman

sentir (yo siento)

sienta sintamos

sientas sintáis

sienta sientan

pedir (yo pido)

pida pidamos

pidas pidáis

pida pidan

Irregulars

There are a few irregular verbs in the present subjunctive. That means that you don't start from the first person singular of the present tense to get the proper form. You need to learn them. They are:

IR

vaya  vayamos

vayas  vayáis

vaya  vayan

SER

sea  seamos

seas  seáis

sea  sean

HABER

haya  hayamos

hayas  hayáis

haya  hayan

SABER

sepa sepamos

sepas sepáis

sepa sepan

DAR ESTAR

dé demos esté estemos

des deis estés estéis

dé den esté estén

Spelling issues:

Vowel rule: e, i are soft vowels, a, o and u are hard. You want to keep the pronunciation that was used in the infinitive, so when going to the opposite ending, spelling must be kept in mind.

-car- qu

-gar- gu

-zar- c

-gir (elegir)

-ger (escoger)

-cer (vencer)

The Subjunctive--Usage

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Most of the textbooks and grammar books that we have seen try to categorize the subjunctive into subjective states: they cite emotion, prohibition, permission, causality, etc. There are plenty of books with this type of explanation around already, so we won´t bore you by repeating it. Besides, after years of teaching, we are convinced that that type of explanation is pretty much useless. Using that sort of guideline, you'll be able to find hundreds of exceptions to the 'rules'.

We believe that the subjunctive is something that is learned mechanically. You learn a number of expressions or verbs which always take the subjunctive, learn and practice them, and eventually you will remember to use the subjunctive form after them. Therefore, in this spirit, we are going to offer you a fairly complete list of the expressions and verbs which take the subjunctive.

What you will have to learn is when to use the present, perfect or past subjunctive behind them. We'll give you an example of this with the verb esperar que. This example will be applicable to almost all of the verbs and expressions on the list.

For example, in a present tense time situation, you hope someone is going to arrive soon. So you say:

Espero que llegue pronto. (Present subjunctive).

   

If you hope he/she has already arrived, you would say:

   

Espero que haya llegado. (Perfect subjunctive).

   

Speaking about the past (what happened yesterday, for example), it would be:

   

Esperaba que llegara. (Past subjunctive).

   

These examples are certainly not sufficient to enable you to master the use of the subjunctive, but they do show the heart of the matter. If you can master the tense-usage concept, and remember which expressions use the subjunctive, you will get it eventually. 

   

Expressions

no puede ser que - "it can't be"

cuando (referring to the future) - "when"

qué raro que - "how strange that"

es posible que - "it's possible that"

qué pena que - "what a shame that"

qué lástima que - "what a shame that"

qué bien que - "how good that"

no es cierto que - "it's not true that"

no es verdad que - "it's not true that"

no es evidente que - "it's not evident that"

no está claro que - "it's not clear that"

no es que - "it's not that"

ojalá (que) - "I hope / wish"

lo mejor es que - "the best thing is to"

es necesario que - "it's necessary to"

es probable que - "it's probable that"

para que - "in order to"

hasta que (referring to the future) - "until"

excepto que - "unless"

con tal de que - "provided that"

en caso de que - "in the event that"

en cuanto - "as soon as"

mientras (referring to the future) - "while"

aunque (referring to the future) - "although"

como (threat) - "if"

siempre que - "provided that"

siempre y cuando - "provided that"

es normal/lógico/necesario (etc.) que -

   "it's normal/logical/necessary that"

Verbs

extrañar(le)que - "to seem strange"

importar(le) que - "to matter"

molestar(le) que - "to bother"

decir(le) que (imperative) - "to tell someone (to do something)"

pedir(le) que (imperative) - "to ask someone (to do something)"

querer que (imperativo) - "to want that"

esperar que - "to hope that"

dejar que - "to allow (someone to do something)"

no estar de acuerdo con - "to not agree with"

estar en contra de que - "to be against"

parecer(le) bien/mal que - "to seem right/wrong that"

alegrarse de que - "to be happy that"

dar(le) miedo de que - "to be afraid that"

tener miedo de que - "to be afraid that"

hace falta que - "to be necessary that"

vale/merece la pena que - "to be worthwhile to"

recomendar(le) que - "to recommend that"

aconsejar(le) que - "to advise that"

perdonar que - "to ask forgiveness for"

no creer que - "to not believe that"

gustar que - "to like that"

gustaría que - "would like that"

We have included (le) with many of the verbs, because they are almost always used with a direct object (a person).. For example, recomendar(le) que will be used in a sentence such as: Te recomiendo que no bebas tanto.

Cuando and aunque when referring to the future work in the following way:

   

Cuando lleguemos, lo pasaremos bien. (We haven't arrived yet).

Aunque lleguemos tarde, no pasará nada. (We haven't arrived yet).

   

Special usages

There are a few usages which don't fit conveniently into the list above. For example, when you are specifying a 'quality' of something you don't yet have, you use the subjunctive. Example:

Quiero una casa que tenga una cocina grande.  

   

One other very important usage of the subjunctive is in the conditional sentences. Conditional sentences frequently have an 'if' and 'would' in them. Spanish always uses the past subjunctive in the second conditional, and past perfect subjunctive ('hubiera') in the third conditional. Examples:

Second conditional

If we had money, we would buy a car.

Si tuviéramos dinero, compraríamos un coche.

   

If I were taller, I would play basketball.

Si fuera más alto, jugaría al baloncesto.

   

Third conditional

   

If you had gone, you would have seen it.

Si hubieras ido, lo habrías visto.

   

If she had saved her money, she wouldn't have to work now.

Si hubiera ahorrado su dinero, no tendría que trabajar ahora.

Another General view of the subjunctive

Sentido general del subjuntivo

|All the verbs we have used so far, with the exception of the |Todos los verbos que hemos usado hasta ahora, a excepción del |

|imperative, have been in the Indicative Mood, that is, they |imperativo, han estado en modo indicativo, esto es, indican |

|indicate states of affairs that are presented as factual.  Now |situaciones percibidas como un hecho.  Considere ahora las siguientes |

|consider the following two sentences in English: |oraciones: |

|   I insist that he is here, and   |   Insisto en que está aquí,    e |

|   I insist that he be here. |   Insisto en que esté aquí. |

|In the first case the speaker insists that the statement is true |En el primer caso, se insiste en que la declaración es cierta, y el |

|and the verb in the subordinate clause is expressed in the |verbo de la cláusula se expresa en indicativo (“está”).  En la segunda|

|indicative (“he is”).  In the second sentence, the speaker wants to|oración, se desea hacer realidad la situación aludida.  No es un |

|bring about the situation in question; it is not factual but rather|hecho, sino una orden indirecta, y se usa el verbo en subjuntivo para |

|an indirect command and English uses a verb in the subjunctive to |expresar esto (“ esté”).  He aquí otros ejemplos del uso del |

|express this (“he be”).  Other examples of subjunctive used in |subjuntivo en situaciones similares: |

|similar situations by careful speakers of English are: |    Exijo que lo haga. |

|I demand that he do it. |    Ojalá estuviera aquí. |

|I wish he were here. |    Pidió que Juan hablara con él. |

|He asked that John speak to him. |El español tiene un modo subjuntivo mucho más vital y sistemático que |

|Spanish has a far more lively and systematic subjunctive mood than |el inglés.  Con poquísimas excepciones, el subjuntivo se usa |

|English does.  With very few exceptions the subjunctive is only |únicamente en cláusulas subordinadas. |

|used in subordinate clauses.  In the following chapters we shall |En los próximos capítulos describiremos sus usos según el tipo de |

|describe its uses according to the type of clause involved. |cláusula empleada. |

2.  The present subjunctive in noun clauses

El presente del subjuntivo en cláusulas sustantivas

A noun clause is a group of words (containing a verb) which is the subject or object of the verb of the main clause.  In the sentence "I insist that he be here", the words "that he be here" are the noun clause, object of the verb "insist".

A.  Indirect Commands

After verbs expressing want, desire, wish, request, insistence, command, suggestion and similar verbs, what is in the clause is like a command.  The verb in all such clauses must be in the subjunctive.

Sugiero que lo hagas ahora.

I suggest that you do it now.

Insisto en que esté presente.

I insist that he be present.

English frequently uses a phrase with the infinitive to express indirect commands:  "I want him to do it" etc.  Spanish must say instead Quiero que lo haga ("I want that he do it").

Me pide que lo diga.                   Queremos que vaya.

She asks me to say it.                  We want him to go.

Notes:

1.  If there is no change in subject there is no need for a subjunctive clause:  Quiero ir, ella insiste en hablar,  etc.

2.  If the verb in the main clause simply reports the situation described in the subordinate clause, there is no need for a subjunctive.

Les digo que está lloviendo.

I tell them that it is raining.

Insisten en que no lo van a visitar.

They insist that they are not going to visit him.

3.  A few verbs expressing ordering or permitting sometimes use an infinitive:

Me manda llegar a tiempo.        No nos permiten ir/No nos dejan ir.

She orders me to arrive on time. They don't allows to go / won’t let us go.

B.  Clauses dependent on expressions of emotional attitude, doubt or denial

The verb in a clause dependent on any expression of attitude (sorrow, surprise, anger, indifference, concern, hope, etc.) or of doubt, disbelief or denial must be in the subjunctive.

1.  Attitude:   Me sorprende que Ud. no lo sepa.

It surprises me that you do not know it.

Es triste que no haga sol.

It's sad that the sun isn't shining.

Siento que no te conozcan.

I am sorry (that) they don't know you.

2.  Doubt:   No es posible que no tengan tiempo.

It is not possible that they do not have time.

Dudo/no creo que sea verdad.

I doubt/don't believe that it is true.

3.  Denial:   No digo que sea tonto. I am not saying (that) he is stupid.

                   Es falso que me moleste el ruido.   It is false that noise disturbs me.

Notes:

1.  Spanish frequently uses the present subjunctive with a future meaning. There is no longer a future subjunctive in daily use:

Dudamos que diga que no.                 I doubt he´ll say no.

Me alegra que haya clase mañana.    I´m glad there will be class tomorrow.

2.  In general, creer, no dudar, and other expressions of belief or conviction will not require a subjunctive in the clause that follows, while no creer, dudar etc., will.  Es cierto que or es verdad que report situations as true and therefore do not involve the subjunctive.  In questions ("Do you believe that...?" etc.) the clause may or may not involve a subjunctive, depending on the doubt in the mind of the speaker: ¿Crees que va a llover? or ¿Crees que llueva?

3.  Spanish may not omit the relative que as English often omits “that”.

C.  Ojalá (que)

This expression, whose form is invariable, meant originally something like "O to Allah" and it is used to express a general wish or hope, without expressing a subject.  Followed by the present subjunctive, it is equivalent in English to "I hope that", or "Let's hope that".

Ojalá  (que) vengan mañana.

I hope they come tomorrow.

Ojalá no llueva.

I hope it does not rain.

Note:  Ojalá may be used with or without que with no change in meaning.

D.  Subjunctive after "perhaps"

Depending on the degree of doubt felt by the speaker, tal vez, quizás, quizá, which all mean "perhaps" may be followed by the indicative or the subjunctive.

Tal vez llegue pronto.

Perhaps he will arrive soon.

(The speaker feels that he probably won't.)

Quizás vamos al cine.

Perhaps we'll go to the movies.

(The speaker feels they probably will.)

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