The Spanish subjunctive, explained
The Spanish present subjunctive (hable, coma, vaya) appears in a second clause, usually after que, when the main clause does not present that clause as fact. It follows wishes and requests (quiero que vengas), emotions (me alegra que estés aquí), doubt and denial, judgements (es importante que duermas), cuando for a future event, and para que. With the same subject in both clauses, Spanish uses the infinitive instead. "Creo que viene" states a belief as true and keeps the indicative; "No creo que venga" does not, so it takes the subjunctive.
Updated 24 October 2026
The subjunctive in one table
Most uses of the present subjunctive fall into a handful of families. Each one has a trigger in the main clause and a verb in the subjunctive in the clause that follows. The right-hand column shows where the same trigger, changed slightly, sends the verb back to the indicative or to the infinitive.
| Family | Trigger + subjunctive | Meaning | Indicative or infinitive instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wish, request, influence | Quiero que vengas. | I want you to come. | Quiero venir. (same subject: infinitive) |
| Hope | Espero que te guste. | I hope you like it. | Espero llegar pronto. (same subject) |
| Passing on an order | Dice que la llame. | She says I should call her. | Dice que me llama. (reporting a fact) |
| Emotion | Me alegra que estés bien. | I am glad you are well. | Me alegra estar aquí. (same subject) |
| Regret | Siento que no puedas venir. | I am sorry you can't come. | Siento no poder ir. (same subject) |
| Doubt | Dudo que llueva. | I doubt it will rain. | No dudo que tienes razón. (no doubt left) |
| Denied belief | No creo que sea verdad. | I don't think it is true. | Creo que es verdad. |
| Judgement | Es importante que duermas. | It is important that you sleep. | Es importante dormir. (general) |
| Possibility | Es posible que llegue tarde. | I might be late. | Es verdad que llego tarde. (fact) |
| Future time | Cuando llegues, avísame. | Let me know when you arrive. | Cuando llego a casa, ceno. (habit) |
| Purpose | Te lo explico para que lo entiendas. | I'll explain it so that you understand. | Lo leo dos veces para entenderlo. (same subject) |
| Wish word | Ojalá salga bien. | I hope it goes well. | none: ojalá always takes the subjunctive |
The core idea: two clauses, two subjects, que
The indicative states things: what is, was or will be. The subjunctive presents an event without asserting it, as something wanted, feared, doubted, judged or not yet real. In practice, the present subjunctive almost always sits in a second clause. The first clause holds a trigger (quiero, me alegra, no creo, es importante), the conjunction que links the two, and the second clause has its own subject, different from the first.
Wishes and influence are the clearest case. With querer que, esperar que, pedir que, decir que (as an order), aconsejar que, preferir que or necesitar que, the speaker is trying to bring an action about, so that action is not yet a fact. English often hides the second clause behind an infinitive: "my parents want me to study". Spanish cannot say "want me to": it says "want that I study", with the verb in the subjunctive.
.
My parents want me to study medicine.
Select a word to see why it is there.
estudieVerb“(I) study”
- Why this word
- Present subjunctive of estudiar, first person singular
- Present subjunctive of estudiar: yo estudio becomes estudie, the -ar verb taking the -e of an -er verb. It is subjunctive because the studying is what the parents want, not something the sentence states as happening. Estudie can mean "I study" or "he/she studies"; here the context says the speaker.
- Dictionary
- estudiar · verb — to study
In this sentence
- estudie · Verb:
- Present subjunctive of estudiar: yo estudio becomes estudie, the -ar verb taking the -e of an -er verb. It is subjunctive because the studying is what the parents want, not something the sentence states as happening. Estudie can mean "I study" or "he/she studies"; here the context says the speaker.
- quieren · Verb:
- The trigger. Querer que expresses a wish about someone else's action, and that is what sends the next verb into the subjunctive. Querer itself stays in the indicative: the parents' wish is a fact.
- que · Subordinator:
- The hinge between the two clauses. English drops it ("want me to study"), Spanish never does: without que there is no second clause, and no subjunctive.
Now take the second subject away. When the person who wants and the person who acts are the same, there is no second clause at all: Spanish uses the infinitive, as English does. "Quiero que yo vaya" is not Spanish; the only way to say "I want to go" is "quiero ir". The same holds for every trigger in this guide, emotion and judgement included.
- Quiero ir al concierto.I want to go to the concert. (I want, I go: infinitive.)
- Quiero que vayas al concierto.I want you to go to the concert. (I want, you go: subjunctive.)
- Espero que tengas un buen viaje.I hope you have a good trip.
- Te pido que no se lo digas a nadie.I'm asking you not to tell anyone.
Emotion and impersonal judgements
After an expression of feeling, the second clause takes the subjunctive even when its content is perfectly true. "Me alegra que estés aquí": you are here, both speakers know it, and the verb is still subjunctive. What the sentence asserts is the feeling, not the fact; the fact is only what the feeling is about. The common triggers are me alegra que (or me alegro de que), siento que, me molesta que, me preocupa que, me sorprende que, tengo miedo de que, es una pena que and qué bien que.
.
I'm glad you're here.
Select a word to see why it is there.
estésSubject“(you) are”
- Why this word
- Present subjunctive of estar, second person singular
- Subjunctive after a verb of emotion. You really are here, but the sentence reports the speaker's joy, not your location, so estar takes its subjunctive form: estés, with the written accent of irregular esté.
- Dictionary
- estar · verb — to be (location, state)
- Alternatives
- estuvieras (past subjunctive: I'm glad you were here)
In this sentence
- estés · Subject:
- Subjunctive after a verb of emotion. You really are here, but the sentence reports the speaker's joy, not your location, so estar takes its subjunctive form: estés, with the written accent of irregular esté.
- alegra · Verb:
- The trigger: a verb of emotion. Its subject is the whole que clause ("that you are here gladdens me"), which is why it is singular.
Impersonal expressions follow the same logic. "Es + adjective + que" takes the subjunctive when the adjective judges, weighs or rates the chances of something: es importante que, es necesario que, es mejor que, es raro que, es normal que, es posible que, es probable que. It takes the indicative when the adjective certifies the clause as true: es verdad que, es cierto que, es obvio que, es evidente que, está claro que. Negate a certainty and it becomes doubt again: "no es verdad que sea tan caro".
- Siento que no puedas venir a la boda.I'm sorry you can't come to the wedding.
- Me molesta que llegue siempre tarde.It annoys me that he is always late.
- Es mejor que hablemos mañana.It's better if we talk tomorrow.
- Es obvio que está cansada.It's obvious she is tired. (Certainty: indicative.)
Doubt and denial: creo que viene, no creo que venga
This is where the indicative and the subjunctive meet head on, and where the meaning of the main verb decides everything. Creer, pensar, parecer, estar seguro de and suponer present the second clause as true, at least in the speaker's mind, so they take the indicative. Dudar, no creer, no pensar, no estar seguro de and negar cast doubt on it or deny it, so they take the subjunctive. The two sentences below differ by one word in the main clause, and the second verb changes mood because of it.
.
I think he's coming. (The speaker holds it to be true.)
Select a word to see why it is there.
vieneVerb“(he/she) comes”
- Why this word
- Present indicative of venir, third person singular
- Indicative, because creo presents his coming as true. The present here refers to the near future, as "he's coming" does in English.
- Dictionary
- venir · verb — to come
- Alternatives
- vendrá (future: he will come)
In this sentence
- viene · Verb:
- Indicative, because creo presents his coming as true. The present here refers to the near future, as "he's coming" does in English.
.
I don't think he's coming. (The speaker does not commit to it.)
Select a word to see why it is there.
vengaVerb“(he/she) comes”
- Why this word
- Present subjunctive of venir, third person singular
- Subjunctive, because no creo refuses to present his coming as a fact. The form comes from the yo form vengo: drop the -o, add -a.
- Dictionary
- venir · verb — to come
- Alternatives
- llegue (arrives)
In this sentence
- venga · Verb:
- Subjunctive, because no creo refuses to present his coming as a fact. The form comes from the yo form vengo: drop the -o, add -a.
- No · Adverb:
- The only change from "Creo que viene". It denies the belief, and a denied belief no longer vouches for the clause that follows.
The rule also runs the other way. "Dudo que venga" doubts, so it takes the subjunctive; "no dudo que viene" removes the doubt, so it usually takes the indicative. In questions, both moods are possible: "¿Crees que viene?" asks a neutral question, while "¿Crees que venga?" shows the speaker suspects he won't. That second pattern is far more common in Latin America than in Spain.
- Dudo que tengan razón.I doubt they are right.
- No estoy seguro de que sea buena idea.I'm not sure it's a good idea.
- Estoy seguro de que es buena idea.I'm sure it's a good idea. (Certainty: indicative.)
Cuando, para que and ojalá
Some triggers are not verbs at all. Cuando and the other time words (en cuanto, hasta que, tan pronto como, después de que) take the subjunctive when the event has not happened yet: it lies in the future from the point of view of the sentence, so it cannot be stated as fact. When cuando describes a habit or a past event, the event is real and the verb is indicative. English does not mark this difference at all ("when you get home" looks the same in all three), and it is also why Spanish never puts the future tense after cuando in a time clause.
, .
Call me when you get home.
Select a word to see why it is there.
lleguesVerb“(you) arrive”
- Why this word
- Present subjunctive of llegar, second person singular
- Subjunctive, because the arrival is in the future and not yet real. From llego: drop the -o, add the ending -es; the u keeps the g hard before e.
- Dictionary
- llegar · verb — to arrive, to get (somewhere)
In this sentence
- llegues · Verb:
- Subjunctive, because the arrival is in the future and not yet real. From llego: drop the -o, add the ending -es; the u keeps the g hard before e.
- Cuando · Subordinator:
- Cuando takes the subjunctive when the event is still ahead, and the indicative for habits ("cuando llego a casa, ceno") and past events ("cuando llegué"). Without an accent it is a conjunction; ¿cuándo?, the question word, always takes the indicative.
- Cuando sea mayor, quiero ser piloto.When I grow up, I want to be a pilot. (Future: subjunctive.)
- Cuando hace calor, vamos a la piscina.When it is hot, we go to the pool. (Habit: indicative.)
- No me voy hasta que termines.I'm not leaving until you finish.
Para que, "so that", always takes the subjunctive: a purpose is by definition something not yet achieved. As with the verb triggers, it needs two subjects. With one, Spanish uses para + infinitive: "estudio para aprobar", but "te ayudo para que apruebes". Antes de que, sin que and a menos que also take the subjunctive every time.
Ojalá is a single word that means "I hope" or "if only", from an old Arabic phrase meaning "if God wills". It is not a verb and has no subject of its own, but it always takes the subjunctive, with or without que after it: "ojalá (que) te mejores pronto". With the present subjunctive it hopes for something that may well happen; with the past subjunctive ("ojalá tuviera más tiempo") it wishes for something unlikely or impossible.
- Habla más alto para que te oigan.Speak up so that they can hear you.
- Sal antes de que empiece a llover.Leave before it starts raining.
- Ojalá aprueben todos.I hope they all pass.
How to form it: the opposite vowel
Start from the yo form of the present indicative, drop the -o, and add the endings of the other conjugation. -Ar verbs take -e endings; -er and -ir verbs take -a endings. Hablo becomes hable, como becomes coma, vivo becomes viva. Because you start from the yo form, every irregularity in it carries over: tengo gives tenga, hago gives haga, digo gives diga, conozco gives conozca, salgo gives salga.
.
I hope the weather is good tomorrow.
Select a word to see why it is there.
hagaVerb“(it) makes”
- Why this word
- Present subjunctive of hacer, third person singular
- From hago, the yo form: drop the -o and add -a, the opposite vowel for an -er verb. The irregular g of hago is kept in every person: haga, hagas, hagamos, hagan.
- Dictionary
- hacer · verb — to make, to do; with weather words, to be
In this sentence
- haga · Verb:
- From hago, the yo form: drop the -o and add -a, the opposite vowel for an -er verb. The irregular g of hago is kept in every person: haga, hagas, hagamos, hagan.
- Ojalá · Other:
- Ojalá expresses a hope and always takes the subjunctive. It needs no que and no subject: the wish is the speaker's.
| Infinitive | Yo (indicative) | Subjunctive | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| hablar | hablo | hable, hables, hable, hablemos, habléis, hablen | -ar takes -e |
| comer | como | coma, comas, coma, comamos, comáis, coman | -er takes -a |
| vivir | vivo | viva, vivas, viva, vivamos, viváis, vivan | -ir takes -a |
| tener | tengo | tenga, tengas, tenga… | irregular yo form carries over |
| hacer | hago | haga, hagas, haga… | irregular yo form carries over |
| pensar | pienso | piense, pienses, piense, pensemos… | stem change, not in nosotros/vosotros |
| dormir | duermo | duerma, duermas, duerma, durmamos… | -ir: o becomes u in nosotros/vosotros |
| llegar, buscar, empezar | llego, busco, empiezo | llegue, busque, empiece | spelling changes keep the sound |
Six common verbs do not follow the yo-form rule, because their yo form does not end in -o (soy, voy, estoy, he, sé, doy). Learn these as words:
| Infinitive | Subjunctive | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ser | sea, seas, sea, seamos, seáis, sean | Espero que sea fácil. | I hope it's easy. |
| ir | vaya, vayas, vaya, vayamos, vayáis, vayan | No quiero que te vayas. | I don't want you to go. |
| estar | esté, estés, esté, estemos, estéis, estén | Ojalá estén en casa. | I hope they're at home. |
| haber | haya, hayas, haya, hayamos, hayáis, hayan | Dudo que haya entradas. | I doubt there are tickets. |
| saber | sepa, sepas, sepa, sepamos, sepáis, sepan | No creo que lo sepa. | I don't think he knows. |
| dar | dé, des, dé, demos, deis, den | Pídele que te dé su número. | Ask her to give you her number. |
Dé carries an accent to tell it apart from the preposition de. Esté, estés, estéis and estén carry one because the stress falls on the last syllable. The first and third person singular are always identical (que yo hable, que ella hable), so Spanish adds a subject pronoun when the context does not settle who is meant.
Many courses teach the triggers with the acronym WEIRDO: Wishes, Emotions, Impersonal expressions, Recommendations, Doubt and denial, Ojalá. It is a fair checklist, with limits. It leaves out cuando, para que and antes de que, among the most frequent uses. Its "impersonal expressions" seem to include es verdad que and es obvio que, which take the indicative. And a list is not a reason: it cannot tell you why "creo que" and "no creo que" differ. Use it to remember, and the question "is this clause asserted as fact?" to decide.
Common mistakes
NotQuiero que yo vaya a la playa.
ButQuiero ir a la playa.
With one subject there is no second clause. Que + subjunctive needs someone else to do the action; your own action takes the infinitive.
NotEspero que tienes un buen fin de semana.
ButEspero que tengas un buen fin de semana.
Esperar que is a wish about someone else, so the verb after que goes into the subjunctive.
NotCreo que sea una buena película.
ButCreo que es una buena película.
Affirmative creer states a belief as true and takes the indicative. Only no creo que takes the subjunctive.
NotEs verdad que sea difícil.
ButEs verdad que es difícil.
Es verdad, es cierto and es obvio certify the clause as fact, so they take the indicative, even though they look like impersonal expressions.
NotCuando tendré dinero, compraré un coche.
ButCuando tenga dinero, compraré un coche.
The future tense never follows cuando in a time clause. A future event after cuando takes the present subjunctive; the future tense belongs in the main clause.
Practise these with the tutorwith Pro
Check yourself
1 / 10
My boss wants me to finish the report today. Which form fills the gap?
Mi jefa quiere que ___ el informe hoy.
Answer
termino: The indicative would state that I finish it, as a fact, which clashes with querer que: she wants it, it has not happened.
terminar: An infinitive cannot follow que. "Quiere terminar el informe" would mean she wants to finish it herself.
termine ✓: Right. Querer que asks for someone else's action, so terminar goes into the subjunctive: termino → termine.
2 / 10
Which sentence means "I want to go out tonight"?
Answer
Quiero que salga esta noche.: Grammatical, but it means "I want him, her or you (usted) to go out tonight": someone else goes out.
Quiero salir esta noche. ✓: Right. The one who wants is the one who goes out, so Spanish uses the infinitive.
Quiero que yo salga esta noche.: Que + subjunctive needs a second subject. With the same person on both sides, this is not Spanish.
3 / 10
I think the pharmacy is closed. Which form fills the gap?
Creo que la farmacia ___ cerrada.
Answer
es: Closed, as the result of closing, is a state and takes estar, whatever the mood.
está ✓: Right. Creo que presents the clause as true in the speaker's mind, so it takes the indicative.
esté: The subjunctive would follow "no creo que": it would turn the belief into doubt.
4 / 10
I'm sorry you're ill. Which form fills the gap?
Siento que ___ enfermo.
Answer
estás: The indicative would report your illness as news. After siento que, Spanish expresses the feeling and puts its cause in the subjunctive.
estés ✓: Right. After a verb of emotion the clause takes the subjunctive, even though the illness is real.
seas: Ser enfermo is rare and labels someone as chronically ill. Being ill now is a state, and states take estar.
5 / 10
It's true that this flat is very expensive. Which form fills the gap?
Es verdad que este piso ___ muy caro.
Answer
sea: The subjunctive follows expressions that judge or doubt. It would fit "no es verdad que" or "es posible que", not "es verdad que".
ser: After que Spanish needs a conjugated verb, never an infinitive.
es ✓: Right. Es verdad que certifies the clause as fact, so it takes the indicative.
6 / 10
When I have time, I'll help you with the move. Which form fills the gap?
Cuando ___ tiempo, te ayudaré con la mudanza.
Answer
tengo: The indicative would describe a habit, "whenever I have time", which clashes with the single future promise te ayudaré.
tenga ✓: Right. The free time is still in the future, so cuando takes the present subjunctive: tengo → tenga.
tendré: Spanish never puts the future tense after cuando in a time clause. The future belongs in the main clause, ayudaré.
7 / 10
Build the sentence: I hope you like the film.
“I hope you like the film.”
Answer
Espero que te guste la película
Esperar que + subjunctive: the speaker hopes for something that is not yet a fact, about someone else.
8 / 10
Build the sentence: I'll lend you my book so that you can read it.
“I'm lending you my book so that you read it.”
Answer
Te dejo mi libro para que lo leas
Para que + subjunctive when the person reading is not the person lending; with one subject it would be para + infinitive.
9 / 10
Type the tú form of poner that fills the gap: it is important that you set the table before nine.
Es importante que ___ la mesa antes de las nueve.
Answer
pongas
Es importante que is a judgement, so it takes the subjunctive. Start from the yo form pongo, drop the -o and add -as: pongas.
10 / 10
Type the nosotros form of ir that fills the gap: I hope we go to Seville this summer.
Ojalá ___ a Sevilla este verano.
Answer
vayamos
Ojalá always takes the subjunctive, and ir is one of the six irregulars: vaya, vayas, vaya, vayamos, vayáis, vayan.
The subjunctive in Epsylo
When you translate or break down a Spanish sentence in Epsylo, every verb is shown with its mood, tense and person, and the explanation of a subjunctive verb says what called for it: the querer, the no creo, the cuando or the para que. Select the verb in the second clause to see why it is not in the indicative.
Questions
- Is the subjunctive still used in everyday Spanish?
- Yes, constantly. Unlike the English subjunctive, it is not formal or old-fashioned: "quiero que vengas", "cuando llegues" and "ojalá" are part of everyday speech for every native speaker, and leaving the subjunctive out sounds like a mistake, not a style.
- Why is it "cuando llegues" but "¿cuándo llegas?"
- Cuando without an accent links two clauses, and takes the subjunctive when the event is still in the future. ¿Cuándo?, with an accent, is a question word, and questions take the indicative: "¿cuándo llegas?", "¿cuándo vas a llegar?".
- Does "decir que" take the subjunctive?
- It depends on what you are doing with it. Reporting information takes the indicative: "me dice que viene" (she says she is coming). Passing on an order takes the subjunctive: "me dice que venga" (she tells me to come).
- Can I say "ojalá que"?
- Yes. "Ojalá llueva" and "ojalá que llueva" are both correct and mean the same; the version with que is especially common in Latin America. Either way the verb is in the subjunctive.
- What is the difference between "es posible que" and "es verdad que"?
- Es posible que weighs a possibility, so it takes the subjunctive: "es posible que llueva". Es verdad que certifies a fact, so it takes the indicative: "es verdad que llueve mucho aquí". Negating it brings back the subjunctive: "no es verdad que llueva tanto".
Try it on your own sentence
Epsylo translates between 97 languages and explains every word of the translation. A free account includes 20 translations a month.