The concept of Subjunctive in Spanish (Subjuntivo) can make one of the most complicated topics. But do not worry! Today we give you some clues to understand it. With them, it will be easier for you to learn Spanish.
Actually, the concept of subjunctive in Spanish is opposed to the concept of indicative. The times in Spanish are divided into two modes: indicative and subjunctive. The call sign represents reality as it is. And the subjunctive, to change, is based on unreality.
Speaking in unreality in terms of grammar, we refer to the feeling of objectivity. That is, uncertainty, conjecture, possibility, emotions and obligations.
Verbs of uncertainty:
No + verbo + que + subjuntivo
Examples:
- No creo que tengas mucho tiempo = I do not think you have much time
- No pienso que sea una mala persona = I do not think I’m a bad person
In this case, we really talk about mental perception. Being the same verbs in affirmative, we would speak in indicative. When speaking in negative, we have to use subjunctive.
Verbs of feeling or mood:
Verbo + que + subjuntivo
Examples:
- Me duele que no me creas = It hurts me that you do not believe me
- Nos encanta que cenemos en este restaurante = We love that we have dinner in this restaurant
- The feelings are very personal and therefore are not objective. In this way, we must use subjunctive.4
Verbs of desire or command:
Verbo + que + subjuntivo
Examples:
- Quiero que vayas a ver a tu abuela = I want you to go see your grandmother
- Te pido que limpies tu cuarto = I ask you to clean your room
The verbs of desire and command are not verbs of reality. If we want something, it is an unreal time, in the same way as an obligation verb.
In the same way, we use subjunctive speaking of something unknown. Look and compare 2 examples that we present below:
- Busco a una chica que sabe cantar = I am looking for a girl who knows how to sing
- Busco a una chica que sepa cantar = I am looking for a girl who knows how to sing
In the first case, we talk about a specific person. Therefore, we use indicative mode. In the second example, we do not know who exactly we are looking for. Therefore, we speak in subjunctive mood.
The same happens when we talk about an unknown time / moment.
For example:
- Hablamos cuando vienes = We talk when you come
- Hablamos cuando vengas = We talk when you come
In the first sentence, we know when exactly another person is coming. In the second, on the contrary, it remains unknown to us.
We hope that our post will help you understand the main uses of the subjunctive. In this article you can find a more detailed explanation of the concept of subjunctive in Spanish.
And if you have more questions, we wait for you in our Spanish classes in Valencia! Therefore, taking Spanish courses in Spain it´s a great option for improve your knowledges os Spanish.
