Spanish grammar lessons › Level B2 › The Spanish subjunctive

Which subjunctive? Sequence of tenses

Match the subjunctive to the main verb: present triggers take the present subjunctive, past and conditional triggers take the imperfect.

Part of the free B2 Spanish course. Press the speaker next to an example to hear it.

You now know two simple subjunctive tenses: the present (hable) and the imperfect (hablara / hablase, The imperfect subjunctive: -ra and -se forms). Which one you use depends mainly on the tense of the main verb, the verb that triggers the subjunctive. Grammars call this the concordancia de tiempos, the sequence of tenses.

The basic rule

Main verb	Subordinate verb	Example
present: quiero, me alegra	present subjunctive	Quiero que vengas.
future: querré	present subjunctive	Te pediré que vengas.
present perfect: he pedido	present subjunctive (or imperfect)	Te he pedido que vengas.
command: dile	present subjunctive	Dile que venga.
preterite: quise, pedí	imperfect subjunctive	Te pedí que vinieras.
imperfect: quería	imperfect subjunctive	Quería que vinieras.
pluperfect: había pedido	imperfect subjunctive	Te había pedido que vinieras.
conditional: querría, me gustaría	imperfect subjunctive	Me gustaría que vinieras.

The idea is simple: present-time triggers look at the present or future and take the present subjunctive; past and conditional triggers take the imperfect subjunctive.

Quiero que me llames esta tarde.I want you to call me this afternoon.
Quería que me llamaras esa tarde.I wanted you to call me that afternoon.
Te he dicho mil veces que no dejes la puerta abierta.I've told you a thousand times not to leave the door open.
Les dije que trajeran algo de beber.I told them to bring something to drink.
Será mejor que lo hablemos mañana.It'll be better if we talk about it tomorrow.

The conditional is a "past" trigger

English speakers often expect me gustaría que to take the present subjunctive, but the conditional behaves like a past tense here.

Me gustaría que el equipo trabajara desde casa los viernes.I'd like the team to work from home on Fridays.

Present trigger, past event

The table is about time, not about mechanical matching. When the main verb is in the present but the event you react to or doubt is in the past, use the imperfect (or the perfect) subjunctive (The perfect subjunctive: haya hecho):

No creo que el ministro dijera eso ayer.I don't think the minister said that yesterday.
Es una pena que no aprobaras el examen.It's a shame you didn't pass the exam.

Past trigger, still-future event

After a past trigger, the imperfect subjunctive is always correct. If the requested action is still in the future at the moment of speaking, many speakers also use the present subjunctive: Ayer me pidió que lo llame mañana. This is accepted, but the imperfect (que lo llamara) is the safe choice, and when the whole situation is over only the imperfect works.

El director exigió que se cancelara la campaña.The director demanded that the campaign be cancelled.

The present perfect in Spain

In Spain the present perfect is tied to the present (hoy, esta semana, The present perfect (he hablado) and when Spain uses it), so it usually takes the present subjunctive: Te he pedido que vengas. The imperfect is also correct (Te he pedido que vinieras), especially when the request is seen as finished.

Latin America

The rule is the same. Because the preterite replaces the present perfect for recent events in much of Latin America, you will hear Te pedí que vinieras where Spain says Te he pedido que vengas. After a conditional trigger (me gustaría que), the present subjunctive (que vengas) is heard in some areas, for example the Río de la Plata, but the imperfect is the standard choice everywhere.

Common mistakes

~~Me gustaría que vengas~~: the conditional takes the imperfect subjunctive: Me gustaría que vinieras.
~~Quería que me ayudas~~: after a past trigger, never the indicative and normally not the present: Quería que me ayudaras.
~~Quiero que vinieras mañana~~: a present trigger about the future takes the present subjunctive: Quiero que vengas mañana.
Forgetting that the event matters: No creo que lo hiciera (I don't think he did it) is correct even though creo is present.

Practice

Anoche a mi pareja le molestó que _____ tan tarde.
Last night it bothered my partner that I got home so late.
Options: llegara · llegue · llegué · llegaría
Show the answer
llegara — A past feeling (le molestó) about a past event → imperfect subjunctive.
Me encantaría que _____ a la presentación del libro.
I'd love you to come to the book launch.
Options: vinieras · vengas · vienes · vendrías
Show the answer
vinieras — A conditional trigger (me encantaría) takes the imperfect subjunctive.
Es necesario que todos _____ el formulario antes del lunes.
Everyone needs to fill in the form before Monday.
Options: rellenen · rellenaran · rellenan · rellenarán
Show the answer
rellenen — A present trigger about the future → present subjunctive.
El sindicato exigió que la empresa _____ (subir) los sueldos.
The union demanded that the company raise salaries.
Show the answer
subiera

In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days, until you've answered it correctly on three separate days.

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