The Present Subjunctive

The present subjunctive is a Higher-tier structure in AQA GCSE Spanish (8692). If you are sitting Foundation, you do not need it and can skip this lesson.

Everything you have learned so far uses the indicative mood, which states facts: estudio (I study), comí (I ate), iremos (we will go). The subjunctive is a different mood, used when you are not stating a plain fact but talking about a wish, a request, an emotion, or something that has not happened yet.

Compare these two sentences:

• Sé que estudias mucho. — I know that you study a lot. (a fact → indicative)
• Quiero que estudies más. — I want you to study more. (a wish → subjunctive)

The verb changes from estudias to estudies. AQA requires you to recognise and use this with just five high-frequency verbs, in three clear situations. This lesson covers exactly those.

Most present subjunctives are built with one reliable method:

Take the yo form of the present indicative, drop the -o, and add the opposite endings. -ar verbs take -e endings; -er and -ir verbs take -a endings.

"Opposite" means -ar verbs borrow the -er/-ir vowel, and -er/-ir verbs borrow the -ar vowel.

Person	hablar (yo hablo)	comer (yo como)	vivir (yo vivo)
yo	hable	coma	viva
tú	hables	comas	vivas
él/ella/usted	hable	coma	viva
nosotros/as	hablemos	comamos	vivamos
vosotros/as	habléis	comáis	viváis
ellos/ellas/ustedes	hablen	coman	vivan

Because the form starts from the yo present, any irregular yo form carries through: hacer → hago → haga; tener → tengo → tenga.

AQA 8692 asks you to use the subjunctive with these five high-frequency verbs. Learn them as a set.

Verb	yo present	Subjunctive forms (yo, tú, él, nosotros, vosotros, ellos)
hacer	hago	haga, hagas, haga, hagamos, hagáis, hagan
tener	tengo	tenga, tengas, tenga, tengamos, tengáis, tengan
venir	vengo	venga, vengas, venga, vengamos, vengáis, vengan
ser	(irregular)	sea, seas, sea, seamos, seáis, sean
ir	(irregular)	vaya, vayas, vaya, vayamos, vayáis, vayan

Hacer, tener and venir follow the rule perfectly from their yo forms. Ser and ir are simply irregular and worth memorising: sea and vaya are the two you will use most often.

After cuando (when), Spanish uses the subjunctive whenever you are talking about a future event that has not happened yet.

• Cuando sea mayor, viajaré por el mundo. — When I am older, I will travel the world.
• Cuando tengas tiempo, llámame. — When you have time, call me.
• Iremos a la playa cuando haga buen tiempo. — We will go to the beach when the weather is good.

Contrast this with a habitual or past action after cuando, which stays in the indicative:

• Cuando era joven, jugaba al fútbol. — When I was young, I played football. (past habit → imperfect indicative)

Rule of thumb: if the cuando clause points to the future, use the subjunctive. If it describes a repeated or past event, use the indicative.

When one person wants, hopes, asks or feels something about someone else's action, Spanish uses verb + que + subjunctive. There must be a change of subject across que.

• Quiero que hagas los deberes. — I want you to do the homework.
• Espero que vengas a la fiesta. — I hope you come to the party.
• Mi madre quiere que sea médico. — My mum wants me to be a doctor.
• Prefiero que vayamos en tren. — I prefer that we go by train.

If there is no change of subject, use the infinitive instead, with no que:

• Quiero hacer los deberes. — I want to do the homework. (same person)

The trigger is a change of subject: Yo quiero → que tú hagas. Two different people, so the second verb goes into the subjunctive.

Use the subjunctive after para que (so that / in order that) when you do something so that someone else can do something.

• Te lo explico para que lo entiendas. — I am explaining it to you so that you understand it.
• Hablo despacio para que me entiendan. — I speak slowly so that they understand me.
• Te doy dinero para que vayas al cine. — I am giving you money so that you can go to the cinema.

As with que after wishing verbs, para que needs two different subjects. If the subject is the same, use para + infinitive instead:

• Estudio para aprobar el examen. — I study (in order) to pass the exam. (same person, no que)

1. Using the indicative after quiero que

Quiero que vienes is wrong. A wish about someone else's action needs the subjunctive: Quiero que vengas.

2. Putting cuando + subjunctive for past or habitual events

The subjunctive after cuando is for the future only. Past habits use the imperfect: Cuando era pequeño (not cuando sea pequeño).

3. Forgetting the irregular yo stem

Tener and hacer keep their yo stems: tenga and haga, never tena or haca.

4. Using que when the subject does not change

If the same person does both actions, drop que and use the infinitive: Quiero ir (I want to go), not quiero que vaya.

5. Mixing up sea and vaya

Ser → sea (to be); ir → vaya (to go). Cuando sea mayor (when I am older), cuando vaya a España (when I go to Spain).