Subjunctive present in Spanish: when to use it?

O subjunctive present, Subjunctive present in Spanish, is used:

• as a form of the affirmative imperative (with the exception of 2^The natural person) and negative;
• with verbs of feeling and desire;
• in some interrogative intonation phrases;
• with some adverbs;
• to express the future with some temporal conjunctions.

Let's get to know these features better? ¡Échale ganas!

Read too: exchange verbs – change verbs in spanish

Uses of the present subjunctive in Spanish

The subjunctive present tense has different uses in the Spanish language.

I - verb forms of imperative affirmative (except second person singular — you, you) and negative imperative.

• Let's get the tasks from the text book.
  (Let's do the textbook assignments.)
• Don't say anything.
  (Don't tell him anything.)

II - Doubtful expressions, that is, those that express doubts or probabilities — perhaps, possibly, possibly, probably:

Maybe Maria llegue early today.
(Maybe Maria arrives early today.)

OJO!We use the indicative mode with the adverbial phrase the best:

A lo mejor María llega temprano today.
(Maybe Maria arrives early today.)

Do not stop now... There's more after the advertising ;)

III - Exclamatory or desiderative phrases, that is, those in which we express some desire:

• Que vaya bien en los exams!
  (May you do well on exams!)
• Enjoy!*
  (Enjoy your food!)
• Enjoy your journey!
  (May you enjoy the trip!)
• Let's hope it rains today, there's a lot of heat.
  (Hope it rains today, it's very hot.)

* The expression is also used Good provecho.

IV - Interrogative intonation phrases:

Send? / Say it?
(Say it?)

See too: Interrogative Pronouns - pronouns used to ask questions

V - Reduplicative phrases, that is, those that repeat the verbal form in order to reiterate or emphasize the expressed action:

• Pase what pase, I'm going to help you.
  (No matter what happens, I'll help you.)
• Say what you say, yo viviré a mi Modo.
  (Say what you say (you want), I'll live my way.)

SAW - Some conjunctions, conjunctive phrases, adverbs and adverbial phrases. There are cases of alternation between indicative and subjunctive, and even those in which the present of the subjunctive will indicate that the action takes place in the future:

• When I bring mamá, she will take me to the park.
  (When Mom arrives, she'll take me to the park.)
• As soon as you make more effort, you will learn more.
  (The more you try, the more you will learn.)

OJO!Note that, in the previous example, the translation of the present tense took place with the future of the subjunctive in Portuguese. That future still exists in Spanish (simple future), but began to fall into disuse in the 14th century, being replaced by the imperfect past tense (broken/llegase) and by the present (lay down). It is still registered, as an archaic feature, in legal and administrative texts and also in some idiomatic expressions, such as "Wherever you come, whatever you come.” (Wherever you go, whatever you come, that is, follow local customs.), and fixed expressions like “what fuere" (What it will be).

VII – Reduplicated forms of concessive sense: se what fuere, sea ​​what sea, haya what haya.

Do not voy to this tour ni who pay me.
(I'm not going on this tour even if they pay me.)

VIII – There are many rules for the use of the subjunctive, in general, in subordinate clauses. Let's see:

The) The subjects of the main and subordinate clauses are different. In this case, the subjunctive is used in the subordinate clause:

• I work hard to buy me a car.
  (I work hard to buy myself a car.)
• I work hard for you to buy a car.
  (I work hard for you to buy a car.)

See other examples:

• I recommend that you seek professional help.
  (I recommend that you seek professional help.)
  (I recommend you seek professional help.)
• It is urgent that you come.
  (It is urgent that you come.)
• I like that you're here.
  (I like that you are here.)
• I wish you never lack for anything.
  (I want you to never lack for anything.)

B) prayersof relative: the present subjunctive is used if the antecedent is unknown. If known, the indicative mode is used.

I'm looking for a car that has an alarm.
(I'm looking for a car that has an alarm. → I don't have the car yet, I'm looking for one.)

ç) Verbs that express perception or opinion (believe, opine, opinion etc.): if the main clause is in the negative form, the subjunctive is used in the subordinate:

• I believe that my mother is in vienna. (present tense)
  (I think my mother is not coming.)
• Do not believe me mamá venga. (subjunctive present)
  (I don't think my mother will come.)

Also access: verbal periphrases – verbal phrases in Spanish

Regular verbs in the present tense of the subjunctive

Pronoun	Hablar	Eat	Move up
yo	haband	withThe	subThe
you/you	habare you	withat	subat
he/she/usted	haband	withThe	subThe
nosotras	habemos	withloves	subloves
you	habyou are	withthere	subthere
they/they/usedes	haben	withan	suban

Irregular verbs in the present tense of the subjunctive

Many irregular verbs in the present tense of the subjunctive are also present in the indicative, including the exceptions — second and third person plural:

• I want → want
• pale → mad
• with you → with you

However, these rules don't apply in all cases, so let's get to know them better:

The) Vocal alternations: are those verbs that have addition, change or suppression of vowel in their roots.

• E → IE: thinking, comenzar, empezar, understanding, lying, feeling.
• U → EU: judging.
• O → EU: power, judge, turn.
• E → I: ask, cry.

Pronouns	Think	jugar	Power	Ask
yo	piense	play	puedia	mad
you/you	pienses	jueges	puedes	jokes
he/she/usted	piense	play	puedia	mad
nosotras	let's think	let's play	we can	we chirped
you	pensels	yogis	podal	we chirped
they/they/usedes	piensen	juguen	puedan	pida

OJO! Note that the verb ask it is completely irregular.

Some previous verbs, like to lie and to feel, are subject to two irregularities, and → ie and and → i. Watch:

Pronouns	To lie	To feel
yo	lie	Sit down
you/you	mints	sorry
he/she/usted	lie	Sit down
nosotras	we lie	let's feel
you	mintals	sintéis
they/they/usedes	mientan	sientan

B) Consonant alternations:

• z → c: this alternation happens with verbs ending in -ecer or -cir, like meet, deserve, lead, produce etc.
• verbs that have -g- added to the root: salir, valer, venir, tener, oír, hacer, traer etc. This is an irregularity that also occurs in the first person singular of the present tense:

Pronouns	To deserve	produce	quit	hello
yo	merezca	produce	salting	Hi Ga
you/you	grocers	produce	salty	friends
he/she/usted	merezca	produce	salting	Hi Ga
nosotras	we deserve	we produce	we salt	thank you
you	merezcais	producecals	salt marshes	oigais
they/they/usedes	merezcan	producecan	salty	oigan

ç) Verbs with total irregularity:

Pronouns	know	To know	Go
yo	haya	separates	vaya
you/you	hayas	sepas	vayas
he/she/usted	haya	separates	vaya
nosotras	hayamos	we separate	let's go
you	hayais	sepals	vayáis
they/they/usedes	hayan	sepan	vayan

Pronouns	decide	To be	Be	To give
yo	say it	sea	This one	in
you/you	say	seas	these	des
he/she/usted	say it	sea	This one	in
nosotras	let's say	let's sew	we are	demos
you	digois	seals	steriles	two
they/they/usedes	say	sean	esthen	den

Read too: Defective verbs in Spanish – verbs with incomplete conjugation

solved exercises

Question 1 - Choose the correct conjugation of the verbs between the two offered in each of the following sentences:

A) When estuviere/estéen casa, call me.

B) No quiero que vai/vayas.

C) I do all the chores so that mama dejar/deje go to the fiesta.

D) Ella does not believe she is vaccinating and her area is important.

E) I need a house that has/has the piezas.

Resolution

To this

B) vayas

C) deje

D) sea

E) tenga

Question 2 - (Enem/2018)

What is the X Solidarity?

La X Solidaria is an equi that helps the most vulnerable people. You can mark it when you have the declaration of rent. Es la casilla called “Fines Sociales”. We prefer llamarla X Solidaria:

•  Because in that mark, 0.7% of your taxes are earmarked for social programs carried out by the NGOs.
•  because the most disadvantaged groups benefit, without any economic cost for you.
•  Because DON'T mark it, just take a passive attitude, and let the State decide the fate of this part of your taxes.
•  because by marking it you become a solidary active contributor.

Available in: http://xsolidaria.org. Accessed on: Feb 20 2012 (adapted).

Solidarity actions contribute to facing social problems. In the text, the joint action occurs when the taxpayer

A) delegates the destination of your taxes to the government.
B) choose projects that will be tax free.
C) allocates part of its taxes to fund social programs.
D) determines the creation of taxes for the implementation of social projects.
E) selects programs to benefit socially vulnerable citizens.

Resolution

Alternative C. The opening paragraph of the text says that the taxpayer collaborates with X Solidaria “when there is a declaration of rent”, that is, when you file the tax return.

By Renata Martins Gornarttes
Spanish teacher

Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:

GORNATTES, Renata Martins. "Present of the subjunctive in Spanish"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/espanhol/presente-do-subjuntivo-em-espanhol.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.