Subjunctive in Spanish: Rules and Examples

Reaching an intermediate level in Spanish is truly admirable. However, to live up to the title of “intermediate Spanish student,” it’s essential to master one of the most complex, challenging, yet fascinating verb moods in the language: The Subjunctive.

This fascinating and essential verb mood allows for the expression of a variety of nuances that enrich communicative context. However, mastering the rules of the subjunctive can be quite a challenge for students, even the most experienced ones.

If you’re at an intermediate level and still struggle with the subjunctive, don’t worry! Here you’ll find a detailed explanation of this verb mood, along with practical examples that will make using this intermediate grammar tool a breeze for you. Let’s get started!

What is the Subjunctive?

The subjunctive is a verb mood used to express hypothetical, unreal, or uncertain actions or situations.

Unlike the other two verb moods (indicative and imperative), the subjunctive is used to express possibilities, desires, doubts, uncertainty, and emotions. It is also very useful when giving recommendations or advice.

Understanding Subjunctive Rules

In this section, we will focus on forming the present subjunctive with both regular and irregular verbs:

• Regular Verbs

Conjugating regular verbs in the present subjunctive is a matter of substitution. That is, we need to replace the typical infinitive endings (-ar, -er, -ir) with the specific subjunctive endings.

For verbs ending in -ar, replace this ending with -e, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en. Below, we’ll use the verb cantar as an example for each substitution:

• Cant + -e = Cante (yo).
  Example: Si quieres que yo cante, dímelo.
• Cant + -es = Cantes (tú).
  Example: Quiero que cantes en mi boda.
• Cant + -e = Cante (él, ella, usted).
  Example: Tal vez ella cante mi canción favorita.
• Cant + -emos = Cantemos (nosotros/as).
  Example: Es probable que cantemos hoy.
• Cant + -éis = Cantéis (vosotros/as).
  Example: Espero que no cantéis tan fuerte.
• Cant + -en = Canten (ustedes, ellos/as).
  Example: Ojalá ellos canten en mi cumpleaños.

For verbs ending in -er or -ir, replace those endings with -a, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. Examples:

• Correr:
  • Corr + -a = Corra (yo).
    Example: No creo que corra mañana.
  • Corr + -as = Corras (tú).
    Example: Tal vez corras más rápido si adelgazas.
  • Corr + -a = Corra (él, ella, usted).
    Example: Espero que usted corra mucho.
  • Corr + -amos = Corramos (nosotros/as).
    Example: Ojalá no corramos todo el día.
  • Corr + -áis = Corráis (vosotros/as).
    Example: Es probable que corráis muy lento.
  • Corr + -an = Corran (ustedes, ellos/as).
    Example: Si quieres que corran, motívalos.
• Escribir:
  • Escrib + -a = Escriba (yo).
    Example: Tal vez escriba más tarde.
  • Escrib + -as = Escribas (tú).
    Example: Espero que escribas la carta.
  • Escrib + -a = Escriba (él, ella, usted).
    Example: Ojalá ella escriba lo que le pedí.
  • Escrib + -amos = Escribamos (nosotros/as).
    Example: No creo que escribamos la canción.
  • Escrib + -áis = Escribáis (vosotros/as).
    Example: Os recomiendo que escribáis mejor.
  • Escrib + -an = Escriban (ustedes, ellos/as).
    Example: Es importante que escriban ese ensayo.

Congratulations! You’re now closer to mastering the subjunctive rules in Spanish. However, to fully utilize this important intermediate grammar tool, you must keep learning.

Let’s continue!

• Completely Irregular Verbs

Some verbs do not follow the usual conjugation rules in the present subjunctive. Therefore, you’ll need to memorize them:

• Ir:
  • Yo vaya.
  • Tú vayas.
  • Él / ella / usted vaya.
  • Nosotros / nosotras vayamos.
  • Vosotros / vosotras vayáis.
  • Ustedes / ellos / ellas vayan.
• Saber:
  • Yo sepa.
  • Tú sepas.
  • Él / ella / usted sepa.
  • Nosotros / nosotras sepamos.
  • Vosotros / vosotras sepáis.
  • Ustedes / ellos / ellas sepan.
• Haber:
  • Yo haya.
  • Tú hayas.
  • Él / ella / usted haya.
  • Nosotros / nosotras hayamos.
  • Vosotros / vosotras hayáis.
  • Ustedes / ellos / ellas hayan.

Applications of the Subjunctive

Now that you understand the subjunctive rules, let’s study some of the most common uses:

• To express doubt and uncertainty:
  • No creo que ustedes puedan venir.
  • Dudo que Marcelo apruebe el examen.
• To give orders:
  • No llegues tarde.
  • Te prohíbo que comas dulces.
• To express desire and hope:
  • Espero que te acuerdes de mí.
  • Ojalá lleguemos temprano.
• To recommend or give advice:
  • Te aconsejo que digas la verdad.
  • Te recomiendo que no vayas.

Thus, successfully navigating the intermediate level of Spanish requires understanding challenging grammar concepts. Even so, this journey is so wonderful and exciting that no difficulty will take away our dream of adopting it as a second language.

Mastering the subjunctive rules may be confusing and intimidating at first, but with practice and discipline, you’ll master this and any other intermediate grammar tool.

Don’t give up! The moment of advancing from intermediate to advanced level is closer than you think.

See you next time!