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.
Spanish Subjunctive Made Simple: Easy Explanation and Examples
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 (To Speak)
| Yo (I) | hable (Speak) |
| Tú (You) | hables (You speak) |
| El (He) | hable (Speak) |
| Nosotros (Us) | hablemos (Let's talk) |
| Vosotros (You) | habléis (You speak) |
| Ellos (they) | hablen (Speak) |
Vivir - Leben (To Live - Life)
| Yo (I) | viva (Live) |
| Tú (You) | vivas (Long live) |
| Él (He) | viva (Live) |
| Nosotros (Us) | vivamos (Lets' live) |
| Vosotros (You) | viváis (You live) |
| Ellos (They) | vivan (Long live) |
Comer - Essen (To Eat)
| Yo (I) | coma (eat) |
| Tú (You) | comas (eats) |
| Él (He) | coma (eat) |
| Nosotros (Us) | comamos (Let's eat) |
| Vosotros (You) | comáis (you eat) |
| Ellos (They) | coman (eat) |
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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 (To know - Knowledge) | |
| Yo (I) | sepa (know) |
| Tú (You) | sepas (you know) |
| Él (He) | sepa (know) |
| Nosotros (Us) | sepamos (let's know) |
| Vosotros (You) | sepáis (you know) |
| Ellos (They) | sepan (sepan) |
Dar - Geben (To Give - Giving)
| Yo (I) | dé (of) |
| Tú (You) | des (of) |
| Él (He) | dé (of) |
| Nosotros (Us) | demos (of) |
| Vosotros (You) | deis (you) |
| Ellos (They) | den (of) |
Estar - Sein (To be )
| Yo (I) | esté |
| Tú (You) | estés |
| El (He) | esté |
| Nosotros (Us) | estemos |
| Vosotros (You) | estéis |
| Ellos (They) | estén |
Ser - Sein (To be)
| Yo (I) | sea (be) |
| Tú (You) | seas (be) |
| El (He) | sea (be) |
| Nosotros (Us) | seamos (let's be) |
| Vosotros (You) | seáis (you are) |
| Ellos (They) | sean (be) |
Ir - Gehen (Go - To go)
| Yo (I) | vaya (oh dear) |
| Tú (You) | vayas (go) |
| El (He) | vaya (oh dear) |
| Nosotros (Us) | vayamos (Let's go) |
| Vosotros (You) | vayáis (go) |
| Ellos (They) | vayan (go) |
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.
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 | English | Spanish | English |
| ojalá | Hopefully | desechar | discard |
| esperar | wait | proponer | propose |
| dudar | doubt | pretender | pretend |
| temer | fear | temblar | shake |
| aconsejar | advise | añorar | shake |
| insistir | insist | recomendar | recommend |
| sugerir | suggest | es dudoso que | it is doubtful that |
| pensar | think | negar | deny |
| preferir | prefer | rogar | beg |
| querer | to want |
| Spanish | English |
| 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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