Spanish Subjunctive Made Simple: Easy Explanation and Examples

The Spanish subjunctive is one of the more challenging areas of Spanish grammar. This is partly because we, as native German speakers, don't have a comparable grammatical form. Since the subjunctive occupies its own distinct area within Spanish grammar, you must also learn all the tenses of the Spanish subjunctive when learning Spanish grammar.
 

However, don't be intimidated by the Spanish subjunctive; it's not as complicated as it initially seems. Once you've internalized the conjunctions of the different tenses within the subjunctive, you'll quickly master the Spanish subjunctive with the help of our article.

The Conjunction of the Spanish Subjunctive in the Present Tense

In Spanish, verbs are conjugated in the subjunctive in the present tense by adding the correct ending to the verb's stem. The endings vary depending on the person and the number of subjects. As with almost all Spanish tenses, you conjugate the Spanish subjunctive according to the ending of the verb. As you probably know, there are three verb groups in Spanish (-ar, -er, and -ir).

The following overview provides examples of the Spanish subjunctive conjunction in the present tense:

Hablar - Sprechen

Yo hable
hables
El hable
Nosotros hablemos
Vosotros habléis
Ellos hablen

Vivir - Leben

Yo viva
vivas
Él viva
Nosotros vivamos
Vosotros viváis
Ellos vivan

Comer - Essen

Yo coma
comas
Él coma
Nosotros comamos
Vosotros comáis
Ellos coman
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Irregular Verbs in the Spanish Subjunctive

Of course, there are also some irregular verbs in the Spanish subjunctive present tense. These don't follow a uniform rule and unfortunately have to be memorized completely. However, this isn't as difficult as it first seems, because there aren't that many irregular Spanish verbs in the subjunctive. It's best to look at the following verbs and memorize them directly. Then you'll soon master the Spanish subjunctive.

Irregular Verbs in the Spanish Subjunctive

Saber - Wissen  
Yo sepa
sepas
Él sepa
Nosotros sepamos
Vosotros sepáis
Ellos sepan

Dar - Geben

Yo
des
Él
Nosotros demos
Vosotros deis
Ellos den

Estar - Sein

Yo esté
estés
Él esté
Nosotros estemos
Vosotros estéis
Ellos estén

Ser - Sein

Yo sea
seas
Él sea
Nosotros seamos
Vosotros seáis
Ellos sean

Ir - Gehen

Yo vaya
vayas
Él vaya
Nosotros vayamos
Vosotros vayáis
Ellos vayan

Use of the Spanish Subjunctive

You use the Spanish subjunctive when you want to talk about your feelings , your wishes , or express your own opinion or doubt in Spanish . It's best to look at the following example sentences with their German translations to get a better understanding of what it means.

Expressing Feelings in Spanish

Ojalá que tengas un buen día. I hope you have a good day.
Temo que algo malo suceda. I'm afraid something bad is going to happen.
Dudo que puedas hacerlo. I doubt you can do it.
Quiero que tengas éxito. I want you to be successful.
Espero que estés de acuerdo conmigo. I hope you agree with me.
Deseo que encuentres lo que buscas. I hope you find what you are looking for.

To Express One's Own Opinion in Spanish

Creo que es mejor que tomes un descanso. I think it's better if you take a break.
Pienso que debes considerar otras opciones. I think you should consider other options.
No estoy seguro de que sea la mejor solución. I'm not sure if it's the best solution.
Sospecho que algo raro está pasando. I suspect something strange is happening.
Dudo que sea un buen plan. I doubt it's a good plan.
A mi parecer, es importante que lo hagas con cuidado. In my opinion, it's important that you do it carefully.
Temo que no podamos hacerlo. I'm afraid we can't do it.

To Express Doubt in Spanish

No estoy seguro de que sea posible. I'm not sure if it's possible.
Dudo que tengamos suficiente tiempo. I doubt we have enough time.
No creo que sea una buena idea. I don't think it's a good idea.
Tengo mis dudas sobre la efectividad de ese método. I have my doubts about the effectiveness of this method.
No confío en que se pueda realizar en tiempo y forma I don't trust that it can be carried out in a timely and proper manner.

Typical Phrases and Words after which the Spanish Subjunctive is Used

The following phrases, words, and expressions indicate that you need to use the subjunctive mood. It is important to note that these triggers require the use of the subjunctive, even if the meaning is not necessarily subjective or unlikely in a given context.

Spanish German Spanish German
ojalá hoffentlich desechar verwerfen
esperar erhoffen proponer vorschlagen
dudar zweifeln pretender anstreben
temer fürchten temblar zittern
aconsejar empfehlen añorar vermissen
insistir bestehen darauf recomendar empfehlen
sugerir vorschlagen es dudoso que es ist zweifelhaft, dass
pensar denken negar ablehnen
preferir bevorzugen rogar bitten
querer wollen    
Spanish German
es importante que It is important that
es necesario que It is necessary that
es dudoso que It is doubtful that
es mejor que It is better that
para que with it
antes de que before
por si in case that
en caso de que if
con tal de que provided that
a menos que unless that

The Spanish Subjunctive: An Essential Grammar Topic for Spanish Learners

The Spanish subjunctive is an essential grammatical form for expressing unlikely or uncertain actions, feelings, opinions, wishes, or states . This form often reflects the speaker's subjective opinions and desires . To use the Spanish subjunctive correctly, it is important to know the common signal words and the subjunctive conjunctions of the most important Spanish verbs.

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