Subjunctive Mood of Verbs
In this lesson you'll learn how to use the subjunctive mood of Spanish verbs. The subjunctive mood is shown for regular verbs, as well as for common irregular verbs. Some common phrases that require the subjunctive mood are also included.
Flashcards and a quiz are included to help you learn the subjunctive mood of Spanish verbs.
Subjunctive Mood
The subjunctive mood of verbs is used to indicate possibilities, opinions, doubt, uncertainty, or desire.
The following table shows the conjugation of the subjunctive mood for the three classes of Spanish verbs.
| hablar | comer | vivir | |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hable | coma | viva |
| tú | hables | comas | vivas |
| él, ella | hable | coma | viva |
| nosotros | hablemos | comamos | vivamos |
| vosotros | habléis | comáis | viváis |
| ellos, ellas | hablen | coman | vivan |
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Several verbs are irregular in the subjunctive mood. The following tables show the conjugation of some of the more common ones.
| dar | estar | ir | saber | ser | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | dé | esté | vaya | sepa | sea |
| tú | dés | estés | vayas | sepas | seas |
| él, ella | dé | esté | vaya | sepa | sea |
| nosotros | demos | estemos | vayamos | sepamos | seamos |
| ellos | den | estén | vayan | sepan | sean |
Verbs that are irregular in the yo form of the present tense have the same irregularity in the present subjunctive mood.
| conocer | decir | hacer | tener | venir | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | conozca | diga | haga | tenga | venga |
| tú | conozcas | digas | hagas | tengas | vengas |
| él, ella | conozca | diga | haga | tenga | venga |
| nosotros | conozcamos | digamos | hagamos | tengamos | vengamos |
| ellos | conozcan | digan | hagan | tengan | vengan |
Verbs that have vowel changes in the present tense also have those vowel changes in the present subjunctive.
| dormir | empezar | volver | |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | duerma | empiece | vuelva |
| tu | duermas | empieces | vuelvas |
| él, ella | duerma | empiece | vuelva |
| nosotros | durmamos | empecemos | volvamos |
| ellos | duerman | empiecen | vuelvan |
Verb Phrases that Require the Subjunctive
The subjunctive mood is used for verbs in subordinating clauses that follow certain verbs in the main clause and connected by the conjunction que. The following table shows some common sentence structures that require the verb that follows to be in the subjunctive mood.
| querer que | to want that |
| insistir que | to insist that |
| preferir que | to prefer that |
| recomendar que | to recommend that |
| sugerir que | to suggest that |
| No es verdad que | It's not true that |
| Es posible que | It's possible that |
| No es posible que | It's not possible that |
| Dudar que | To doubt that |
| Negar que | To deny that |
| No creer que | To not believe that |
| No estar seguro de que | To not be sure that |
| Esperar que | To hope that |
| Alegrarse que | To be happy that |
| Sentir que | To be sorry that |
| Sorprender que | To be sorry that |
Conjunctions that Require the Subjunctive
Some conjunctions always require the verb that follows to be in the subjunctive mood. These conjunctions create a sense of uncertainty, since one action is required before another action can happen. The following table shows the conjunctions that always require the subjunctive mood.
| de manera que | so that, in a way that |
| a menos que | unless |
| antes de que | before |
| con tal de | as long as |
| de modo que | in a manner that |
| para que | in order that |
| sin que | without |
Some conjunctions can optionally be followed by a verb in the subjunctive mood if you want to show a sense of uncertainty. The following table shows these conjunctions.
| cuando | when |
| después de que | after |
| en cuanto | as soon as |
| hasta que | until |
| tan pronto como | as soon as |
Subjunctive to Indicate Doubt that a Person or Thing Exists
The subjunctive can also be used to indicate uncertainty that a person or object exists with a certain quality or attribute. The following sentences show some examples.
| Necesito una persona que pueda ayudarme a aprender física. | I need a person that can help me learn physics. |
| Estamos buscando un libro que tenga información sobre el clima en Venus. | We're looking for a book that has information about the climate on Venus. |
| ¿Hay alguien que pueda ayudarme? | Is there anyone who can help me? |
Examples
The following sentences show examples of how the subjunctive mood is used in the Spanish language.
| Maria quiere que vayamos al cine. | Maria wants that we go to the city |
| Mis padres insisten en que mi hermano haga su tarea. | My parents insist that my brother does his homework. |
| No creo que puedas correr todo el día. | I don't believe that you can run all day. |
| Yo quiero que tú limpies la cocina. | I want you to clean the kitchen. |
| Esperamos que disfrutes de la cena. | We hope that you enjoy dinner. |
| Es necesario que los alumnos lean este libro. | It is necessary that the students read this book. |
| Su médico le recomienda que beba más agua. | His doctor recommends that he drinks more water. |
| Ayudo a mis amigos, con tal que mis amigos me ayuden también. | I help my friends as long as my friends help me too. |
| Viajamos a Colombia para que veas una cultura nueva. | We travel to Colombia in order to see a new culture. |
| Cuando estudies esta noche, no olvides de hacer todos los problemas. | When you study tonight, don't forget to do all the questions. |
| Hasta que mis padres vendan su casa, vamos a seguir viviende aquí. | Until my parents sell their house, we're going to keep living here. |
Flashcards
Here are some flashcards to help you learn the subjunctive mood of Spanish verbs.
Quiz
Here is a quiz to help you learn the subjunctive mood of Spanish verbs. Each time you take the quiz the questions will be a bit different.