B1 · The subjunctive
When the subjunctive is used
When the main clause wishes, doubts, judges or denies.
At a glance
- Remember
- Two subjects, and a main clause that is not asserting — then the subjunctive.
- Form
- Quiero que vengas. / Te pido que esperes.wanting
- Signal words
- quiero que
- no creo que
- es posible que
- para que
- antes de que
- cuando
- aunque
- Trap
- Wrong:Quiero que vaya al cine esta noche.Right:Quiero ir al cine esta noche.
Your turn
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The form
How the forms are built
Each row gives the meaning first, then the form in Spanish. The colours show what changes from one form to the next.
stem (irregular) tense marker person ending negation
| wanting | Quiero que vengas. / Te pido que esperes. |
| feeling | Me alegro de que estés bien. |
| doubting | No creo que sea cierto. / Dudo que venga. |
| judging | Es mejor que lo hagas hoy. |
| conjunctions | para que, antes de que, sin que, cuando |
| same subject | Quiero ir. |
| that I do | (yo) haga |
| that you do (tú) | (tú) hagas |
| that he, she does / you (usted) do | (él, ella, usted) haga |
| that we do | (nosotros) hagamos |
| that you do (vosotros) | (vosotros) hagáis |
| that they / you (ustedes) do | (ellos, ellas, ustedes) hagan |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
Wanting and willing take the subjunctive.
Quiero que me digas la verdad.I want you to tell me the truth.
So does a statement that is being denied.
No creo que tenga razón.I do not think he is right.
With the same subject the infinitive is used.
Espero llegar a tiempo.I hope to arrive on time.
After cuando it is used for what has not happened yet.
Cuando llegues, llámame.Call me when you get there.
Example sentences
Te lo digo para que lo sepas.I am telling you so that you know.
Es una pena que no puedas venir.It is a shame you cannot come.
Saldremos antes de que empiece a llover.We will set off before it starts raining.
Aunque sea caro, lo compraré.Even if it is expensive, I am going to buy it.
6 more example sentences
Te pido que tengas paciencia.I am asking you to be patient.
Me molesta que hablen tan alto.It annoys me that they talk so loudly.
Es raro que no haya llamado.It is odd that he has not called.
Lo hago sin que se den cuenta.I am doing it without them noticing.
Espero que todo salga bien.I hope everything goes well.
No es verdad que yo lo dijera.It is not true that I said it.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English has one shape for both sentences: «I want to go», «I want you to go». So the que clause gets built in both places, and Quiero que vaya comes out meaning «I want him to go» when «I want to go» was meant. Same subject, no que, plain infinitive: quiero ir.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
Four kinds of main clause pull it in. *Wanting: querer que, esperar que, pedir que, decir que in the sense of telling somebody to. Feeling and judging*: me alegro de que, es una pena que, es importante que, me molesta que.
*Doubting and denying a statement: no creo que, dudo que, no es verdad que, es posible que. And certain conjunctions*: para que, antes de que, sin que, cuando pointing forwards, aunque conceding something.
The condition throughout is that the two clauses have *different subjects*. With the same subject Spanish uses an infinitive and no clause at all: Quiero ir against Quiero que vayas. English does not mark that difference — «I want to go» and «I want you to go» are built the same way — which is why the que goes in where it does not belong.
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The verbs on this page, in every form: ser · llegar · decir · tener · poder · salir · empezar · venir