Present subjunctive 6 emotions and doubt

Present subjunctive 6 emotions and doubt (Spanish)

The present subjunctive (el presente de subjuntivo) is not a tense but a mood: it shows the speakers attitude toward an action rather than simply locating that action in time. Use the present subjunctive in subordinate clauses when the main clause expresses emotions (reactions, feelings) or doubt/uncertainty about what happens in the subordinate clause. Most commonly the subordinate clause begins with que.

What does the subjunctive express?

The subjunctive expresses subjectivity: hopes, wishes, emotions, doubts, opinions, or non-factual statements. For emotions and doubt, the pattern is usually:

Main clause (emotion / doubt) + que + subordinate clause (subjunctive)

Examples:
- Me alegra que vengas. (Im glad that you are coming.)
- Dudo que él tenga tiempo. (I doubt that he has time.)

When do I use the present subjunctive for emotions?

Use it when the main clause expresses an emotional reaction to someone elses action or situation. Common verbs and expressions: alegrarse, gustar, encantar, sorprender, molestar, enojar/ enfadar, sentir / lamentar, preocupar, temer (to fear), estar contento / triste, es una pena / es una lE1stima.

Examples:
- Me alegra que vengas. (Im glad you are coming.)
- Me sorprende que no lo sepas. (Im surprised that you dont know it.)
- Siento que no puedas venir. (Im sorry you cant come.)
- Me molesta que fumes en la casa. (It bothers me that you smoke in the house.)
- Nos preocupa que no tengas suficiente dinero. (Were worried that you dont have enough money.)
- Me encanta que estudies tanto. (I love that you study so much.)

Note: many of these verbs use the gustar-pattern: "Me alegra...", "Me preocupa..." etc.

When do I use the present subjunctive for doubt and uncertainty?

Use the subjunctive after verbs and expressions that express doubt, denial, or low probability: dudar, negar (to deny), no creer, no pensar, es dudoso que, es improbable que, es posible que, puede que, quizá / quizás / tal vez (often followed by subjunctive when the speaker is uncertain).

Examples:
- Dudo que él llegue a tiempo. (I doubt that he will arrive on time.)
- No creo que sea verdad. (I dont believe its true.)
- Es posible que llueva mañana. (Its possible that it will rain tomorrow.)
- Puede que venga esta tarde. (He might come this afternoon.)
- QuizE1s venga. / QuizE1 venga. / Tal vez venga. (Maybe hell come.)

Contrast with certainty:
- Creo que viene. (I believe he is coming.) indicative
- No creo que venga. (I dont think he is coming.) subjunctive

How do I form the present subjunctive?

The usual method: take the yo form of the present indicative, drop the -o, then add the subjunctive endings.

Regular endings
- For -ar verbs: e, es, e, emos, E9is, en
- For -er and -ir verbs: a, as, a, amos, E1is, an

Examples (regular verbs)
- hablar: hable, hables, hable, hablemos, hablE9is, hablen
- Me preocupa que no hable con ella. (Im worried that he doesnt talk to her.)
- comer: coma, comas, coma, comamos, comE1is, coman
- Es bueno que comas verduras. (Its good that you eat vegetables.)
- vivir: viva, vivas, viva, vivamos, vivE1is, vivan
- Me sorprende que vivan tan lejos. (Im surprised they live so far away.)

Stem-changing verbs
- For -ar and -er verbs with a stem change in the present (eBBie, oBBue), the subjunctive keeps that change in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
- pensar (eBBie): piense, pienses, piense, pensemos, pensE9is, piensen
- Es raro que piense eso. (Its strange that he thinks that.)
- poder (oBBue): pueda, puedas, pueda, podamos, podE1is, puedan
- Dudo que pueda hacerlo. (I doubt he can do it.)

- For -ir stem-changers the pattern is slightly different: they change in all forms, and the vowel change in nosotros/vosotros often becomes shorter.
- pedir (eBBi): pida, pidas, pida, pidamos, pidE1is, pidan
- Espero que pidas ayuda. (I hope you ask for help.)
- dormir (oBBue): duerma, duermas, duerma, durmamos, durmE1is, duerman
- Temo que no duerma bien. (I fear that he doesnt sleep well.)
- preferir (eBBie, -ir): prefiera, prefieras, prefiera, prefiramos, prefirE1is, prefieran
- Es mejor que prefiera la opciF3n A. (Its better that he prefers option A.)

Spelling (orthographic) changes
Verbs that change in the yo form to preserve pronunciation keep similar changes in the subjunctive:
- -car -> -que: buscar -> busque, busques, busque, busquemos...
- Es importante que busques informaciF3n. (Its important that you look for information.)
- -gar -> -gue: llegar -> llegue, llegues, llegue, lleguemos...
- Quiero que llegues a tiempo. (I want you to arrive on time.)
- -zar -> -ce: empezar -> empiece, empieces, empiece, empecemos...
- Me molesta que empiecen sin mED. (It bothers me that they start without me.)

Common irregular verbs
Some very frequent verbs are irregular in the present subjunctive:
- dar: dé, des, dé, demos, deis, den
- Espero que me des una oportunidad. (I hope you give me a chance.)
- estar: esté, estés, esté, estemos, estE9is, estE9n
- Me alegra que estE9s bien. (Im glad you are well.)
- haber: haya, hayas, haya, hayamos, hayE1is, hayan
- Es posible que haya un problema. (Its possible theres a problem.)
- ir: vaya, vayas, vaya, vayamos, vayE1is, vayan
- Dudo que vaya. (I doubt he will go.)
- saber: sepa, sepas, sepa, sepamos, sepE1is, sepan
- No creo que sepa la respuesta. (I dont think he knows the answer.)
- ser: sea, seas, sea, seamos, seE1is, sean
- Es bueno que sea honesto. (Its good that he is honest.)
- ver: vea, veas, vea, veamos, veE1is, vean
- Me sorprende que no me vea. (Im surprised he doesnt see me.)

Change of subject: when to use an infinitive instead

If there is no change of subject between the main clause and the subordinate clause, use the infinitive, not subjunctive.

Examples:
- Quiero irme. (I want to leave.) same subject (I), so infinitive.
- Quiero que te vayas. (I want you to leave.) different subject (you), so subjunctive.
- Me alegra verte. (Im glad to see you.) same subject doing the seeing, so infinitive.
- Me alegra que vengas. (Im glad that you are coming.) different subject, so subjunctive.

Indicative vs subjunctive: quick comparisons

Study these pairs to see how meaning changes with certainty vs doubt:

Creo que viene. (I think he is coming.) Indicative: belief/assumption.
No creo que venga. (I dont think he is coming.) Subjunctive: doubt/denial.

- Es cierto que trabaja aquED. (Its certain that he works here.) Indicative.
- No es cierto que trabaje aquED. (Its not certain/its not true that he works here.) Subjunctive.

- QuizE1s viene. (Maybe hes coming — speaker leans toward likelihood.)
- QuizE1s venga. (Maybe hell come — speaker sees it as more uncertain.)

Other common structures used for emotion/doubt

OjalE1 (que) + subjunctive: strong wish/hope.
OjalE1 (que) apruebes el examen. (I hope you pass the test.)
Puede que + subjunctive: expresses possibility.
Puede que llueva. (It may rain.)
Tal vez / QuizE1s / QuizE1 + (subjunctive or indicative): usually subjunctive when the speaker is unsure.
Tal vez venga tardi. / Tal vez viene (both possible; subjunctive more tentative).

Common mistakes to avoid

Using the indicative after an emotion/doubt trigger instead of subjunctive:
Wrong: Me alegra que vienes.
Correct: Me alegra que vengas.
Using subjunctive when the subject doesnt change (forget infinitive):
Wrong: Quiero que ir.
Correct: Quiero ir. (If subject is the same.)
Confusing "creer" and negation:
Creo que viene. (indicative)
No creo que venga. (subjunctive)
Using the wrong stem-change pattern in nosotros forms for -ar/-er verbs:
Wrong: piensemos (some learners write *piensemos), correct: pensemos.
Spelling and accent errors with irregulars (remember dé vs de, esté vs este, haya vs haya).

Quick reference: common triggers (emotions / doubt)

Emotions / reactions (common):
- alegrarse (de) que Me alegra que vengas.
- gustar / encantar que Me gusta que estudies.
- sorprender que Me sorprende que no venga.
- molestar / enojar que Me molesta que fumes.
- sentir / lamentar que Siento que no puedas venir.
- temer / tener miedo de que Temo que no llegue.
- estar contento / triste de que Estoy contento de que estE9s mejor.
- es una pena / es una lE1stima que Es una lE1stima que se vaya.

Doubt / uncertainty (common):
- dudar que Dudo que lo haga.
- no creer / no pensar que No creo que sea verdad.
- negar que Niegan que ocurriera. (past subjunctive example)
- es dudoso / es improbable que Es improbable que ocurra.
- es posible / es probable que Es posible que llueva.
- puede que Puede que venga.
- tal vez / quizE1s / quizá + (subj./ind.)

Glossary (short)

Mood: grammatical category that shows the speakers attitude (subjunctive vs indicative).
Subjunctive: the mood used for wishes, emotions, doubt, non-factual statements.
Indicative: the mood used for statements of fact or certainty.
Infinitive: the basic form of a verb (hablar, comer, vivir).
Subordinate clause: the clause that depends on the main clause (usually introduced by que).
Trigger verb/expression: a verb or phrase in the main clause that requires the subjunctive in the subordinate clause (e.g., dudo que...).
Stem change / orthographic change: sound-preserving changes that affect conjugation (pensar -> piense, buscar -> busque).

Summary: the essentials

Use the present subjunctive in subordinate clauses introduced by que when the main clause expresses emotion or doubt.
Form the present subjunctive from the yo form: drop -o, add the subjunctive endings (see examples above).
Use the infinitive, not the subjunctive, when there is no change of subject between the clauses.
Contrast indicative vs subjunctive to show certainty vs doubt: "Creo que viene" (indicative) vs "No creo que venga" (subjunctive).

Practice paying attention to the trigger in the main clause (emotion or doubt) and whether the subordinate clause has a different subject. That will tell you whether to use "que + present subjunctive" or the infinitive/indicative.

Present subjunctive 6 emotions and doubt (Spanish)

Quick reference: common triggers (emotions / doubt)

End of guide