Subjunctive Mood

In English, we rarely change verbs for moods. In Spanish, the verb ending changes completely. This happens when the sentence is not a fact. It usually requires two different people in the sentence. For example, "I want you to eat." I have the wish. You do the eating. These two actions are linked by the word que. The first part is usually a fact. "I want" is a fact. The second part is the wish. "You eat" becomes subjunctive. It is not a fact yet. It is just a desire in my head. This "bridge" between reality and desire is the subjunctive. It is like a virtual reality for your verbs. You are describing a world that might happen.

1. 1Creating the subjunctive is like a three-step dance. Follow these steps for regular verbs:
2. 2Start with the yo form of the present tense. For comer, this is como.
3. 3Drop the final o. Now you have the stem com-.
4. 4Add the "opposite" endings to the stem.
5. 5What are opposite endings? If the verb ends in -ar, use -er style endings. If the verb ends in -er or -ir, use -ar style endings.
6. 6For -ar verbs (like hablar):
7. 7yo -> -e (hable)
8. 8tú -> -es (hables)
9. 9él/ella -> -e (hable)
10. 10nosotros -> -emos (hablemos)
11. 11ellos/ellas -> -en (hablen)
12. 12For -er and -ir verbs (like comer or vivir):
13. 13yo -> -a (coma)
14. 14tú -> -as (comas)
15. 15él/ella -> -a (coma)
16. 16nosotros -> -amos (comamos)
17. 17ellos/ellas -> -an (coman)
18. 18It feels like a brain swap at first. Just remember: AR goes to E, ER/IR goes to A.

We use the acronym WEIRDO to remember the triggers.

• Wishes: Quiero que... (I want that...)
• Emotions: Me alegra que... (It makes me happy that...)
• Impersonal Expressions: Es bueno que... (It is good that...)
• Requests: Te pido que... (I ask you to...)
• Doubt: Dudo que... (I doubt that...)
• Ojalá: Ojalá que... (I strongly hope that...)

Imagine you are at a restaurant. You tell the waiter, "I want the soup." That is a fact. Use indicative. But if you say, "I want you to bring the soup," use subjunctive. You are influencing someone else. Use it when you are not 100% sure. Use it when you are being polite or emotional. It is the language of the heart. Even asking for directions can use it. "Is there a bank that is open?" You don't know if it exists. That is a subjunctive moment.

Do not use the subjunctive for facts. If you are certain, stay in the indicative. Phrases like Creo que (I believe that) use the indicative. You are stating your belief as a fact. Es verdad que (It is true that) also stays indicative. If there is only one person, do not use it. "I want to eat" is Quiero comer. There is no que. There is no second person. You only need the subjunctive when two worlds collide. If you are just reporting the news, stick to the basics. Think of the indicative as a boring documentary. The subjunctive is a dramatic movie.

The biggest mistake is forgetting the "opposite" rule. You might say habla when you mean hable. Another mistake is forgetting the word que. Without que, the bridge is broken. Many people use the subjunctive after creo que. Remember, believing is a "fact" in your mind. Only use it when you say no creo que. Negative beliefs create doubt. Doubt triggers the subjunctive. Also, watch out for irregulars. Verbs like ser become sea. Verbs like ir become vaya. These are the "DISHES" verbs. They are stubborn but very common. Do not stress if you slip up. Even native kids take years to master this.

Compare Espero el bus and Espero que venga el bus. The first is simple. You are waiting for a physical thing. The second is a hope. You are waiting for an action to happen. Notice the difference between Pienso que es fácil and No pienso que sea fácil. The first is an opinion stated as fact. The second is a denial that creates uncertainty. In English, we use "to" a lot. "I want you to go." Spanish uses "that" instead. "I want that you go." This structure change is the hardest part for English speakers.