Spanish subjunctive practice for beginners
The Spanish subjunctive is a tough one! But don’t worry.
Many Spanish learners feel lost when “el subjuntivo” sneaks into their schedule!
We want to make it a bit easier for you! You could start by watching our learning video before getting to the Spanish subjunctive practice!
It should give you a basic idea of when to use the Spanish subjunctive.
By the way, we found this webpage for the Spanish verb conjugation in general very helpful (click here).
If you still need more Spanish subjunctive practice, don’t hesitate to contact us. We offer face-to-face Spanish lessons in El Zonte, El Salvador, and also online classes.
Overview: The Spanish Subjunctive Mood
The Spanish language has a verbal mood called the EL SUBJUNTIVO (subjunctive), which you must use to express
- doubt,
- uncertainty,
- wishes,
- emotions,
- and opinions, among other things.
Spanish can be more complex than English, depending on the verbal mood.
For instance, in English, the indicative mood is often used to express certainty, while the subjunctive is used more sparingly.
However, in Spanish, the subjunctive mood is more widely used and usually replaces the indicative mood in specific contexts.
At this point, it is important to mention that there is more the just the present tense for the Spanish subjunctive. But to simplify it for beginners, we prefer starting the e
To illustrate this, let’s take a look at the following examples:
- “Duermes todo el día.” (Indicative mood) – “You sleep all day long.”
- ¡Duerme todo el día! (Imperative mood) – “Sleep all day long!” (An order given because the person seems tired.)
- Dudo que duermas todo el día. (Subjunctive mood) – “I doubt you sleep all day.” (Expressing doubt, uncertainty, or opinion.)
In the third example, we can see how the subjunctive mood is used to express doubt, as the speaker is not certain that the other person sleeps all day. In this case, the subjunctive mood is used because the speaker’s belief is subjective and not a fact.
Let’s have a look at some more examples:
- Ojalá que vengan mis amigos. (Subjunctive mood) – “I hope my friends come.” (Expressing a wish or desire)
- Es triste que no pueda asistir a la boda. (Subjunctive mood) – “It’s sad that I can’t attend the wedding.” (Expressing an emotion)
- No creo que ella sea mala persona. (Subjunctive mood) – “I don’t think she’s a bad person.” (Expressing an opinion)
Mastering the subjunctive mood is essential for anyone looking to achieve fluency in Spanish.
El Subjuntivo: Regular Verbs
The verb conjugation for the Spanish subjunctive seems confusing if you start learning it. But actually, it’s easy if you know the trick.
Usually, only one vocal changes for the regular verbs – except the first person singular. The a changes to e (subjunctive) for the verbs ending with ar. And the and i/e changes to a for the Spanish verbs ending with er and ir. Just practice!
Spanish Subjunctive Practice: Regular Verbs
El subjuntivo: The irregular verbs
Irregular verbs in the Spanish subjunctive mood can be tricky sometimes. But we recommend memorizing some typical phrases for the correct verb conjugation.
Sometimes it’s necessary to study grammar sheets, but don’t exaggerate! Make these phrases part of your active vocabulary; step after step, you will use the Spanish subjunctive more correctly.
It’s more important that you start speaking Spanish. After a while, you will get more confident using the Spanish subjunctive.
One last tip: If you want to practice the Spanish subjunctive correctly from the beginning, watch the accent marks!
Spanish Subjunctive Practice: Irregular Verbs
If you find these exercises helpful, please leave a comment or let others know! Maybe you are also interested in the following post:
Examples of the subjunctive in Spanish – 10 useful phrases to survive
The Spanish imperfect tense | 3 useful tips and free exercises
The Spanish preterite tense | regular verbs | 6 FREE exercises!
