The subjunctive: common triggers

The subjunctive is the mood learners avoid longest, usually because English has almost lost it. In Spanish it appears constantly. The good news is that most uses follow a small number of triggers. When a sentence contains one of them and has a second clause with a different subject, the second verb is often in the subjunctive.

The basic pattern is:

Trigger + que + subjunctive (with a different subject)

Quiero que vengas. (I want you to come.) The trigger is quiero. The second verb, vengas, is subjunctive because its subject (tú) is different from the subject of the trigger (yo).

Trigger 1: wishes and requests

Verbs of wanting, asking, allowing and forbidding.

Quiero que estudies. (I want you to study.)
Te pido que me llames. (I ask you to call me.)
Mis padres no permiten que salgamos. (My parents do not allow us to go out.)

Trigger 2: emotions

Expressions of happiness, sadness, fear, surprise or regret.

Me alegra que estés aquí. (I am glad you are here.)
Siento que no puedas venir. (I am sorry you cannot come.)
Es una pena que llueva. (It is a shame that it is raining.)

Trigger 3: doubt, denial and uncertainty

When the speaker is not sure, or denies something.

Dudo que sea verdad. (I doubt that it is true.)
No creo que tenga razón. (I do not think he is right.)
Es posible que llegue tarde. (It is possible that he will arrive late.)

Be careful: creer in the affirmative expresses certainty and takes the indicative. Creo que tiene razón. (I think he is right.) The moment you negate it, the subjunctive appears.

Trigger 4: impersonal expressions

Expressions of necessity, opinion or evaluation, without a specific subject.

Es importante que practiques todos los días. (It is important that you practise every day.)
Es necesario que llegues a tiempo. (It is necessary that you arrive on time.)
Es mejor que descanses. (It is better that you rest.)

Trigger 5: recommendations and suggestions

Te recomiendo que visites el museo. (I recommend that you visit the museum.)
Le sugiero que pida el pescado. (I suggest that you order the fish.) Here le is the polite usted form.

Trigger 6: purpose and time

Some conjunctions always take the subjunctive when the event has not happened yet.

Te lo explico para que lo entiendas. (I explain it to you so that you understand it.)
Salgo antes de que llegue la lluvia. (I am leaving before the rain arrives.)
Te llamaré cuando termine. (I will call you when I finish.) Future time after cuando uses the subjunctive.

Compare: Te llamé cuando terminé. (I called you when I finished.) Here the event is in the past, so the indicative is correct.

When there is no subjunctive

If there is only one subject, Spanish usually uses an infinitive instead.

Quiero estudiar. (I want to study.) Same subject, so no que.
Es importante practicar. (It is important to practise.) No specific person, so an infinitive is natural.

Common mistakes

Using the indicative after a trigger. Quiero que vienes should be Quiero que vengas.
Using the subjunctive after creer in the affirmative. Creo que es verdad, not Creo que sea verdad.
Forgetting the change of subject. Quiero venir keeps the same subject. Quiero que vengas changes it.

Practice

Choose the correct form in each sentence. Check which trigger is present before you choose.

For a broader picture of how the subjunctive fits with the other past and present tenses, return to Preterite vs imperfect or read the CEFR B2 guide for what this level of accuracy looks like in practice.