B2 · The subjunctive
cuando and clauses about what has not happened yet
What is still to come takes the subjunctive — even when it is certain.
After cuando, en cuanto, hasta que, mientras, después de que and antes de que it is not the tense that decides but whether the event has happened. Past and habitual take the indicative, anything still ahead takes the subjunctive.
Cuando llego a casa, ceno describes a habit — indicative. Cuando llegue a casa, cenaré describes what is still to come — subjunctive. That it is almost certain to happen changes nothing. English has its own quirk in the same place: it refuses the future after «when» and uses the plain present instead, so «when I get home» is at least a warning that this clause behaves oddly.
Antes de que is the special case that always takes the subjunctive. Whatever comes before something else has by definition not happened at that point.
Die Form
| habit | Cuando llego, ceno. |
| past | Cuando llegué, cené. |
| still to come | Cuando llegue, cenaré. |
| always subjunctive | antes de que llegues |
| until | Espera hasta que te llame. |
| as soon as | En cuanto sepa algo, te aviso. |
Die Regeln im Einzelnen
If the event is still ahead, the subjunctive follows.
Te llamo en cuanto llegue.I will ring you as soon as I get there.
Habit and past take the indicative.
Cuando era niño, jugaba aquí.When I was little I used to play here.
antes de que always takes the subjunctive.
Vámonos antes de que empiece a llover.Let us go before it starts raining.
With the same subject antes de and después de take the infinitive, without que.
Antes de salir, apaga la luz.Turn the light off before you leave.
Woran man es erkennt
- cuando
- en cuanto
- hasta que
- antes de que
- mientras
Beispielsätze
Cuando termines, avísame.Let me know when you have finished.
No salgas hasta que pare la lluvia.Do not go out until the rain stops.
Mientras haya luz, seguimos.As long as there is light, we carry on.
Llámame antes de que sea tarde.Call me before it is too late.
Noch 6 Beispielsätze
En cuanto pueda, te escribo.I will write as soon as I can.
Quédate hasta que vuelva.Stay until I get back.
Cuando seas mayor, lo entenderás.You will understand when you are older.
Cierra la ventana antes de que entre el frío.Shut the window before the cold gets in.
Mientras no digas nada, no pasa nada.As long as you say nothing, nothing happens.
Después de comer, damos un paseo.After lunch we go for a walk.
Die typisch deutsche Falle
Aufgepasst
English says «when I have finished» and «when I get home» — a present that means the future, which looks like an invitation to use the Spanish present: Cuando llego a casa, te llamo. That sentence exists and means «whenever I get home». For the one occasion still to come it is Cuando llegue a casa.
Not yet happened means subjunctive — and never a future after cuando.
Jetzt selbst
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