hola me llamo Paola and I'm Spanish language expert at Busuu.
welcome to another one of our videos aimed at helping you master the Spanish language
in today's video I'll be covering the grammar beast : the Spanish subjunctive
if you've ever struggled to get your head around the Spanish subjunctive
this is a video for you.
The subjunctive is one of the trickiest grammar topics for English speakers to master
not only in Spanish in most of the languages as well
but don't let that stop you it's not as hard as you think
it just takes a bit longer to get used to it
and that's where I can help
In this video I'll share the answers to three most asked questions about the Spanish subjunctive
one: what it actually is
two: when to use it
three: when not to use it
before we start make sure you subscribe to keep up to date with all the tips
that will help you master the Spanish language
what is the Spanish subjunctive?
in a nutshell it's a way of using verbs to describe virtual information
in other words: our emotional perception, bias or attitude towards something rather than
just stating a fact.
so here's the really interesting bit: it's a mood not a tense
before you start thinking about moody verbs, let me explain the difference
between moods and tenses.
to describe an action that has occurred, we use the verb tenses
and these are: presente, pretérito imperfecto and futuro
when we want to reflect on how we feel about an action we use moods
and these are: indicativo, subjuntivo and imperativo
and now let's take a look at an example of the subjunctive mood in English
phrases that appear at start of a sentence like 'if I were you' or 'if I had known'
they use the English subjunctive. So why is this?
it's because these phrases are used to express doubt or feeling about a particular action.
so are you starting to get a better feel for the Spanish subjunctive yet?
If your answer is yes, felicidades!
but if you're still tentative don't worry
you have got the basic theory down
let's move on to how to apply this in real-life situations
here's the thing the subjunctive has so many different uses in Spanish
and instead of boring you with a long list of rules to memorise, I'm going to give
you everything you need so that you understand when and when not to use the Spanish subjunctive
rule number one: do use the subjunctive when you're describing
your attitude towards something factual or a fact relating someone as long as there are
two verbs in the sentence and there is a 'que' in between them
for example:
“¿Quieres que prepare algo de comer?”
"Do you want me to prepare anything to eat?"
“Carlos espera que salgamos pronto.”
"Carlos hopes that we're leaving early"
Rule number 2:
the 'person' of the first verb is different to the 'person' of the second verb
for example:
“¿Quieres tú que prepare yo algo de comer?"
"Do you want me to make anything to eat?"
Rule number 3:
the first of those two verbs expresses uncertainty, doubt, a wish or any kind of emotion
For example:
“Me extraña que no vengan a la fiesta."
"I find it strange that they are not coming to the party"
“No soporto que Susana nunca recoja la mesa.”
"I can't stand the fact that Susana never cleans the table"
If a sentence ticks all three of these boxes, then yes – you will definitely need to use the subjunctive.
and just remember
the first of the two verbs will always be in the indicative, and the second will always be in the subjunctive
simple, isn't it?
well, there are actually a few key exceptions to the rule
"Ojalà" is a common word in Spanish to express hope
It’s always followed by the subjunctive, whether the verb is followed by a "que" or not.
For example:
“Ojalá no llueva mañana.”
“I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow.”
“Ojalá que apruebe el examen.”
“I hope I pass the exam.”
When you express your best wishes to someone
either when it’s their birthday; they’re going on a trip; or they’re not feeling well
the "que" comes at the start of the sentence, and the subjunctive comes straight afterwards
For example:
“¡Que pases un buen finde!”
"I hope that you have a good weekend"
“¡Que tengas buen viaje!”
“I hope that you have a good trip!”
“¡Que te mejores!”
“I hope you get better!”
Ok, now let's move onto the don'ts
Rule number 1:
don’t use the subjunctive when you’re talking about the same person
If both verbs refer to the same person when you’re describing an emotion,
a feeling, making a wish and you have two verbs,
you don't need to use the subjunctive
In cases like these, you’ll normally find that there’s no need for a “que”
instead the second verb is in the infinitive form.
For example:
“Tengo ganas de verte."
"I'm looking forward to seeing you"
“Espero ir a la fiesta del sábado."
"I hope I’ll go to the party on Saturday.”
“Me encanta aprender español."
"I love learning Spanish.”
Rule number 2:
Don’t use the subjunctive if there’s no signal
there will always be some kind of signal that will trigger the subjunctive
it could take the form of another verb or an expression describing any kind of emotion
a change in person, good wishes expressed to someone else
or the word "Ojalá"
whatever the signal may be, it’ll be always there
So before you start using the subjunctive, make sure the signal is there
For example:
"Ojalá no llueva mañana"
I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow
"Espero que vengas a verme pronto"
"I hope that you come to see me soon"
Remember: when it comes to the subjunctive, it’s the meaning - not the rules - that count!
whenever you come across a situation where you are unsure of whether to use the subjunctive or not
don't panic. Just take a moment to think about what you want to say
and you can refer back to this video in the future if you are ever unsure
just press the ‘like’ button below
and keep up to date with all of our Spanish language videos
subscribe to Busuu’s YouTube channel by clicking below
watch this space for more helpful guides like this one!