Help with the Spanish Subjunctive
First Rule: Subordinate Clause
There must always be a subordinate clause followed by "que" for the subjunctive to be used. Without the "que", the infinitive or indicative should be used.
No creo que él sepa bailar.
I don't believe that he knows how to dance.
Me gusta bailar.
I like to dance.
Second Rule: Change of Subject
Yo quiero que él haga su tarea.
I want him to do his homework.
In the above example, the subject changed from "I" to "him". If the subject did not change, the subjunctive would not be used, but rather the infinitive.
Yo quiero hacer bien en mi examen.
I want to do well on my exam.
Third Rule: WEIRDO
W - Wish, Desire
Yo espero que él hable más despacio.
I wish that he spoke more slowly.
Quiero que mi hermano no me moleste.
I want my brother to not bother me.
E - Emotion
Me gusta que mi jefe sea muy simpático.
I like that my boss is very sympathetic.
Me sorprendió que el subjuntivo sea tan fácil.
It surprised me that the subjunctive is so easy.
I - Impersonal Expressions
Es importante que los estudiantes estudien.
It's important that the students study.
Es extraño que las calles no tengan marcas.
It's strange that the streets do not have names.
NOTE: There are 5 exceptions to this rule, and they follow the acronym VOCES: Verdad, Obvio, Cierto, Evidente, and Seguro. The subjunctive is not used with these words unless they are used in the negative.
Es obvio que ella es muy inteligente.
It's obvious that she is very intelligent.
No es cierto que él sepa donde estamos.
It's not certain that he knows where we are.
R - Recommendations
Te recomiendo que tú compres el equipaje.
I recommend that you buy luggage.
Me sugirió que yo deba esperar.
He suggested to me that I should wait.
D - Doubt
Dudo que ella esté mintiendo.
I doubt that she is lying.
No está seguro que a ella le guste.
He is not sure that she likes him.
O - Ojalá
Ojalá que el tiempo hoy sea muy bueno.
Hopefully the weather today is very nice.
Ojalá que mi equipo vaya a ganar el torneo.
Hopefully my team is going win the tournament.
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- There must be a subordinate clause.
- There must be a change of subject.
- Remember the WEIRDO formula.
15 Comments
Post a CommentLet me rephrase my previous comment - there are a few "exceptions" not "errors". For the most part, everything you've posted is quite accurate. Thanks!
Thanks for your contribution, but there are a few errors. First, "Que" is not always necessary; there are many instances where it's not needed. For example, after conjunctions of time or concession: "Cuando hablen con la prensa, van a exigir la libertad para los prisioneros.". Second, often *no* change of subject is necessary - as shown in my previous example. It's not needed for most impersonal expressions ("Que le vaya bien") or hypothetical statements ("si" clauses) about the present (Si tuviéramos tiempo, iríamos a la ciudad) (note that even though this is a statement in the present, the *past* subjunctive* is used in this type of clause - "if we *had* time, we would go to the city"). There's more - study it a bit, then come back and improve on your good work. Thanks!
THNKS:)
Simple and clear...thanks!
wow...
Good job! I like this.
it was helpful but not specific
I'm so glad I found this! We used this acronym in my high school Spanish III class (2001-2002) & I couldn't remember it for the life of me!
AHHH! Thank you sooo much! This has helped me a lot!
thanks! great arcticle!