Welcome to your worst nightmare - The subjunctive case (CHAN CHAN CHAAN)
I’m just kidding, learning how to use the subjunctive case in Spanish for somebody as smart as you should be a piece of cake. First, we are going to go over the uses of the subjunctive that are easiest to grasp, and then we’ll work our way down to the exceptions.
Fasten your seatbelt and prepare to witness your Spanish skills reach new horizons.
The Intro: How to use the subjunctive case in Spanish
The subjunctive case in Spanish is a grammatical mood used to express actions, events, or states that are subjective, hypothetical, uncertain, or influenced by emotions, desires, doubts, or recommendations.
It is often used to convey doubt, possibility, necessity, desires, wishes, or conditions that may or may not be fulfilled.
The subjunctive adds depth and complexity to communication, allowing speakers to express attitudes, intentions, and uncertainties with precision.
Summary: WEIRDO
The acronym "WEIRDO" can be used to identify if a sentence should use the subjunctive case or not.
These are brief examples, however,
if you need more explanation you should read the full article. Good luck, you got this!
Wishes - Such as in the sentence:
Espero que mamá llegue temprano del trabajo hoy.
(I hope that mom gets home early from work today.)
Emotions - Such as in the sentence:
Me preocupa que no encuentres trabajo.
(I'm worried that you don't find a job.)
Impersonal expressions - Such as in the sentence:
Es necesario que se respeten las reglas.
(It is necessary that the rules are respected.)
Recommendations - Such as in the sentence:
Recomiendo que visites ese museo, es realmente interesante.
(I recommend that you visit that museum, it's really interesting.)
Doubt - Such as in the sentence:
No estoy convencido de que ella haya dicho la verdad.
(I'm not convinced that she told the truth.)
Use of Ojalá - Such as in the sentence:
Ojalá que puedas cumplir tus sueños y metas.
(I hope you can fulfill your dreams and goals.)
Below we'll go over many examples so that you can acquire these rules without hurting your brain!
RULES: WEIRDO - Wishes, Emotions, Impersonal expressions, Recommendations, Doubt, Ojalá
This is an acronym that is used to show (you) the learner the situations in which this case is used.
Think of it like this - SUBJUNCTIVE = UNCERTAINTY and you’re already 75% of the way there.
Let's look at some sentences that demonstrate this acronym!
Wishes: 🙏
When we state a wish that we have, the subjunctive is utilized.
Remember how I told you that SUBJUNCTIVE = UNCERTAINTY? Well whenever we are wishing for something, we want it, but that doesn't mean it's going to happen, it’s an uncertain situation.
Espero que mamá llegue temprano del trabajo hoy.
(I hope that mom gets home early from work today.)
Yo quiero que tú saques la ropa de la secadora.
(I want you to take out the clothes from the dryer.)
Quiero que él me llame mañana.
(I want him to call me tomorrow.)
Espero que tengas un buen viaje.
(I hope you have a good trip.)
Emotions: 😭
Whenever we are talking about emotions we use the subjunctive case as well.
Some examples that showcase this are the following:
Estoy triste de que ella se haya ido.
(I'm sad that she has left.)
Me preocupa que no encuentres trabajo.
(I'm worried that you don't find a job.)
Me duele que no confíes en mí.
(It hurts me that you don't trust me.)
Me alegra que tengamos esta oportunidad.
(I'm glad that we have this opportunity.)
Impersonal Expressions: 🤖
Impersonal expressions such as “It’s necessary that she pay attention” - show little personality, care, or emotion for the subject being discussed.
That is to say, the speaker does not care how the listener feels about the statements being made.
These statements are said in a way that - it just “is what it is”
(which is actually an expression that uses the subjunctive in Spanish).
To give you an idea of how this is used, here are some sentences that utilize Impersonal Expressions:
Es importante que todos estén informados.
(It is important that everyone is informed.)
Es necesario que se respeten las reglas.
(It is necessary that the rules are respected.)
Es necesario que se tomen medidas urgentes.
(It is necessary that urgent measures are taken.)
Es fundamental que practiques a diario.
(It is crucial that you practice daily.)
Recommendations: 👉
Can you see how those “impersonal expressions” are more or less recommendations?
Saying “the rules need to be respected” is kind of like saying “it’s recommended that rules are respected - or else”. In the same way, traditional recommendations use the subjunctive case as well.
Some sentences that showcase this use of the subjunctive are as follows:
Te sugiero que estudies antes del examen.
(I suggest that you study before the exam.)
Recomiendo que visites ese museo, es realmente interesante.
(I recommend that you visit that museum, it's really interesting.)
Es mejor que tomes precauciones cuando viajes solo.
(It's better that you take precautions when traveling alone.)
Es preferible que consultes a un especialista en el tema.
(It is preferable that you consult a specialist in the subject.)
Doubt: 🤨
Are you starting to see how all of these fall under the umbrella of “Uncertainty”?
The wishes are verbs that might or might not occur.
The sentences of “emotion” show that the speaker feels uncertain because of what they are mentioning.
The impersonal expressions show that “this is what’s best” but don’t guarantee that those suggestions will be carried out.
And the recommendations, just like the impersonal expressions, show what is the best things to do, but at the end of the day, the listener might not do it.
Do you see the trend here?
Now, just like all of the other cases where the subjunctive is used,
when doubt is expressed it also shows uncertainty, for example in the sentences:
Dudo que ella pueda resolver el problema.
(I doubt that she can solve the problem.)
No estoy seguro de que haya suficiente comida para todos.
(I'm not sure that there is enough food for everyone.)
No estoy convencido de que ella haya dicho la verdad.
(I'm not convinced that she told the truth.)
No tengo confianza en que el proyecto sea exitoso.
(I don't have confidence that the project will be successful.)
Ojalá: 🤲
Ojalá - for those that don’t know, comes from the Arabic saying “Inshallah” meaning “if it is the will of God”. This word was introduced into Spanish during the "Moorish Rule" in Spain (which lasted from the 8th-15th century)
The reason this one word is in the acronym “WEIRDO” is because anytime that we use the word ojalá, the verb that follows should be in the subjunctive form.
Some examples of sentences that utilize this word are:
Ojalá que encuentres trabajo pronto.
(I hope you find a job soon.)
Ojalá que obtengas buenas notas en tus exámenes.
(I hope you get good grades on your exams.)
Ojalá que puedas cumplir tus sueños y metas.
(I hope you can fulfill your dreams and goals.)
Desearía que las cosas fueran diferentes.
(I wish things were different.)
Conclusion: How to use the subjunctive case
The subjunctive case is used when there are doubts, wishes, recommendations, impersonal expressions, or doubts. If you want to learn exactly how to use the case, read all the examples given in this article a few times.
The best way to learn the uses of the subjunctive case is through acquisition by reading sentences that utilize it.
This case is simple (enough) and surely with some practice you will understand it well! Below is a Quizlet that you can use to test your understanding of the uses of the subjunctive case.
Keep practicing, you’ve got this!
I hope that didn't overwhelm you!
But if it did, check out this article "Why Learning a Language Should be Your Top Priority: 7 Reasons" to get yourself motivated to keep learning "