What is the subjunctive and when do I use it in Spanish?

While different tenses describe when an action happened, different moods describe how the speaker feels about the action. There are three moods in Spanish: the indicative (which will be the tense you normally use to describe actions, events and facts), the imperative (which is used for commands) and the subjunctive.We normally use the subjunctive when we are talking with uncertainty, or to express emotion, doubt or desires. This makes it different from the indicative tense, which describes actions which are already a reality or are believed to be true. Examples of when you would use the subjunctive in English would be after "I don't think that...", "I doubt that...", "it's amazing that..." or "her sister wants her to...".

AJ
Answered by Ana-Cristina J. Spanish tutor

3071 Views

See similar Spanish A Level tutors

Related Spanish A Level answers

All answers ▸

What is your best advice for translation?


I never remember the appropriate prepositions of place and always get mixed up with them! Can you help me?


When is the subjunctive used in Spanish?


Qué sabes tu de las causas del desempleo entre los jovenes del mundo hispano?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning