The Spanish subjunctive mood is usually considered the most difficult verb form for students, but hopefully this lesson will simplify matters for you. In Parts I and II, we learned about Spanish subjunctive conjugations. In Part III, we'll take a look at using the Spanish subjunctive with verbs and impersonal expressions. In Part IV, we'll examine the subjunctive with conjunctions and relative pronouns, and in Part V, we'll look at the subjunctive in adjective clauses.
The subjunctive is a verb mood, not a tense. Mood refers to the attitude of the speaker toward the action/condition of the verb - how likely/factual the statement is. The subjunctive mood is subjective; it expresses emotional, potential, and hypothetical attitudes about what is being expressed - things like will/wanting, emotion, doubt, possibility, necessity, judgment. The "normal" verb mood is called the indicative and is used for factual or definite statements about reality.
The Spanish subjunctive is often found in dependent clauses introduced by que (that). The subjects of the dependent and main clauses are usually different (if the subjects are the same, the infinitive can be used instead of the subjunctive).
http://www.elearnspanishlanguage.com/grammar/verbs/subjunctive-uv.html
Quiero que tu lo hagas. I want you do it. No es cierto que yo venga. It's not certain that I will come (am coming).
The subjunctive is used when the main clause expresses subjectivity, as summarized below. (Some of the English translations may seem a little awkward: "that" is not always required in English, and we sometimes use a completely different structure which avoids the subjunctive altogether)
I. Verbs/expressions of will or want which express an order, a need, a piece of advice, or a desire:
aconsejar que to advise decir que to tell dejar que to let, allow desear que to desire that es hora que it's time that es importante que it is important that es necesario que it is necessary that esperar que to hope that es preciso que it is necessary that evitar que to avoid exigir que to demand that hacer falta que to be necessary that hacer que to make, force impedir que to prevent insistir en que to insist that invitar que to invite mandar que to order necesitar que to need pedir que to ask (someone to do something) permitir que to permit preferir que to prefer that prohibir que to forbid proponer que to propose that querer que to want that recomendar que to recommend rogar que to request, beg sugerir que to suggest that
II. Verbs/expressions of emotion or feeling which indicate fear, happiness, anger, regret, surprise, or other sentiments or biases.
alegrarse de que to be happy that es bueno que it's good that es conveniente que it's convenient that es difícil que it's hard es extraño que it's strange that es fácil que it's easy es increíble que it's incredible that es interesante it's interesting that es inútil que it's useless that (there's no point) es justo que it's fair that es (una) lástima que it's a pity that es malo que it's ( too) bad that es mejor que it's better that es peor que it's worse that es preferible que it's preferable that es raro que it's strange that es triste que it's sad that es útil que it's useful that estar contento que to be happy that estar triste que to be sad that extrañarse que to be amazed that gustarse que to like más vale que it's better that sentir que to regret, be sorry that sorprenderse que to be surprised that temer que to fear that tener miedo que to be afraid that
III. Verbs/expressions of doubt, possibility, opinion
aparecer que to appear, seem that buscar ... que* to look for detestar que to hate dudar que to doubt es dudoso que it is doubtful that es imposible que it is impossible that es improbable que it is improbable that es posible que it is possible that es probable que it is probable that negar que to deny no es cierto que it is not certain that no es claro que it's not clear that no es evidente que it is not obvious that no es obvio que it is not obvious that no es que it's not that no está seguro que it is not certain that no es verdad que it is not true that tal vez perhaps
*Busco un libro que me interese (it may not exist = doubt)
Busco el libro que estoy leyendo (I know it exists = no doubt)
Note: the following verbs and expressions do not take the subjunctive when they are used in the affirmative, because they express facts which are considered certain. When negative or interrogatory, they require the subjunctive (Example: ¿Crees que él sea triste? Si, creo que es triste; No, no creo que sea triste):
conocer (alguien) que to know (someone) that creer que to believe that espérer que to hope that estar cierto que to be certain that estar seguro que to be sure that es cierto que it is certain that es claro que it's clear that es evidente que it is obvious that es seguro que it is certain that es una realidad it's a fact that es un hecho it's a fact that es verdad que it is true that pensar que to think that saber que to know that
The verbs dudar (to doubt) and negar (to deny) take the subjunctive when they are affirmative, but not when they are negative.
Dudo que venga. I doubt he'll come. No dudo que viene. I don't doubt that he'll come.
That's it for the Spanish subjunctive with verbs and impersonal expressions; time to move on to the subjunctive with conjunctions.
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More Spanish Subjunctive Conjugations: Usage:
Spanish Subjunctive Tenses: |
Some present tense, subjunctive mood worksheets for you:
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Some imperfect tense, subjunctive mood worksheets for you:
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VIII,
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