The subjunctive is mainly used to talk about doubts and desires in Spanish. In this article, however, we’ll go over more common situations when this mood is used. You will find plenty of examples and some exercises to practice when to use subjunctive in Spanish. Let’s start!
When to Use Subjunctive in Spanish
It is important to know when to use subjunctive in Spanish for achieving fluency and effectively expressing yourself. This mood is used to show desires, doubts, wishes, possibilities, and hypothetical situations. Now let’s see some examples of when to use subjunctive in Spanish.
Negative Commands
When you studied the imperative mood, you saw many examples in the affirmative form, such as
No dejes la mayonesa fuera de la nevera.
Don’t leave the mayonnaise outside of the fridge.
No empecemos a discutir de nuevo. Estoy cansado.
Let’s not start fighting again. I’m tired.
No esperes a tu amiga en la cafetería. Va a llegar tarde.
Don’t wait for your friend at the coffee shop. She’s going to be late.
¡No hables así de la gente! Debes aprender a ser tolerante.
Don’t speak like that about people. You should learn to be tolerant.
Expressing Hopes and Wishes
You also need the subjunctive to express hopes and wishes. Notices that these expressions are introduced by the word
Quiero que me cuentes un cuento.
I want you to tell me a story.
Preferimos que amplíen el horario del metro.
We prefer they extend the subway hours.
Tus padres desean que estudies en la biblioteca mañana.
Your parents wish you study in the library tomorrow.
Espero que nos digan que la beca para estudiar sigue disponible.
I hope they tell us that the scholarship to study is still available.
Ojalá
One word that is always followed by the subjunctive mood is
¡Ojalá la periodista diga todo lo que sabe!
Let’s hope that the journalist says everything she knows.
Ojalá Teresa piense en nosotros durante su viaje.
Hopefully Teresa will think of us during her journey.
Ojalá que mis hermanos no estén en casa. Quiero estar tranquilo.
Hopefully my brothers won’t be at home. I want to have my peace and quiet.
¡Ojalá estén en la fiesta! Hace semanas que no tengo noticias de ellos.
Hopefully they’ll be at the party! I haven’t heard from them in weeks.
Expressing Doubts
You also need a subjunctive verb to express doubt. Usually it is expressed by
Se lo explicaré a Nicolás, pero no creo que lo entienda.
I’ll explain it to Nicolás, but I don’t think he’ll understand.
No creo que nos encontremos con Mariana en el teatro.
I don’t think we’ll run into Mariana at the theater.
No creo que Alicia le diga la verdad a la policía. Tiene miedo.
I don’t think Alice will tell the truth to the police. She’s scared.
No creo que Luis tenga la dirección de Juan. Ni siquiera lo conoce.
I don’t think Luis has Juan’s address. He doesn’t even know him.
Expressing Opinion
Also, we use the subjunctive to express an opinion or impression.
1. You can express this by
Es una vergüenza que traten así a los jubilados.
It’s disgraceful that retirees are treated like that.
Es una pena que tengamos prisa para llegar antes a casa.
It’s a shame that we are in a hurry to arrive home earlier.
Es un acierto que un responsable venga a dar explicaciones.
It’s completely right for the person in charge to come and give an explanation.
Es una locura que vayan a viajar. Hay que tener en cuenta que está enfermo.
It’s crazy that they’re traveling. You have to bear in mind that he’s ill.
2. You can also express this by
Es bueno que contraten a más trabajadores en la empresa.
It’s a good thing that they’re hiring more workers at the firm.
Es adecuado que llames a Rosa y le expliques lo que pasó.
It’s appropriate for you to call Rosa and explain her what happened.
Es vergonzoso que él tenga un poder tan grande y nos trate tan mal.
It’s a shame that he has so much power and treats us so terribly.
Es increíble que estemos subiendo tan alto y todavía no sienta vértigo.
It’s incredible that we’re going up so high and I’m still not suffering from vertigo.
Exercises
Here are some exercises to practice when to use subjunctive in Spanish.