The Subjunctive (El Subjuntivo)
The subjunctive is not a tense, but a mood. While the Indicative mood is used to declare facts and reality, the Subjunctive mood is used to express desires, doubts, emotions, ignorance, or possibilities.
Present Tense: Indicative vs. Subjunctive
Notice how the endings "flip". -AR verbs take -ER/-IR endings, and -ER/-IR verbs take -AR endings.
| Pronoun | Indicativo (Reality) | Subjuntivo (Desire/Doubt) |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | hablo, como | hable, coma |
| Tú (You) | hablas, comes | hables, comas |
| Él/Ella (He/She) | habla, come | hable, coma |
| Nosotros (We) | hablamos, comemos | hablemos, comamos |
Subjunctive Across Different Tenses
Present Subjunctive
Tú siempre me ayudas.
You always help me.
Quiero que me ayudes.
I want you to help me.
Present Perfect Subjunctive
Creo que han venido.
I think they have come.
No creo que hayan venido.
I don't think they have come.
Imperfect Subjunctive (Past)
Era joven.
I was young.
Si fuera joven...
If I were young...
10 Magic Phrases That Trigger the Subjunctive
Whenever you use one of these phrases followed by "que" (that), you almost always need to use the subjunctive mood in the next part of the sentence.
¡Ojalá (que)...!
Quiero que...
No creo que...
Dudo que...
Espero que...
Es importante que...
Te aconsejo que...
Me alegro de que...
Es posible que...
Siento que...