Which verbs are different
The present subjuntivo is built from the yo form of the present. So it is irregular in only three cases.
Six verbs with forms of their own
These six verbs do not follow the yo form. Learn their forms.
ser, ir, haber, saber
| Person | ser (to be) | ir (to go) | haber (auxiliary; hay) | saber (to know) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | sea | vaya | haya | sepa |
| tú | seas | vayas | hayas | sepas |
| él/ella/usted | sea | vaya | haya | sepa |
| nosotros/as | seamos | vayamos | hayamos | sepamos |
| vosotros/as | seáis | vayáis | hayáis | sepáis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | sean | vayan | hayan | sepan |
Own stem, plus the normal endings with a
estar, dar
| Person | estar (to be) | dar (to give) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | esté | dé |
| tú | estés | des |
| él/ella/usted | esté | dé |
| nosotros/as | estemos | demos |
| vosotros/as | estéis | deis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | estén | den |
Endings as for -ar verbs (with e), some with an accent
dé carries an accent purely to keep it apart from the preposition de (of, from); the sound is the same. The other dar forms (des, demos, deis, den) have none.
haya is also the subjuntivo of hay (there is / there are), and it stays singular whatever follows: one ticket or twenty.
The six in a sentence
Espero que todo sea más fácil.
I hope everything gets easier.
Me alegra que estés mejor.
I'm glad you're feeling better.
Quiero que vayas al médico.
I want you to go to the doctor.
Espero que haya entradas.
I hope there are tickets left.
Es importante que sepas la verdad.
It's important that you know the truth.
Te pido que me des una oportunidad.
I'm asking you to give me a chance.
When the yo form is already irregular
Drop the -o of the yo form and add the endings (-a, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an): the irregularity then sits in every person. In -go and -zco verbs the g or zc stays throughout.
-go and -zco verbs
| Infinitive | yo form | Subjuntivo |
|---|---|---|
| tener (to have) | tengo | tenga |
| venir (to come) | vengo | venga |
| poner (to put) | pongo | ponga |
| salir (to go out) | salgo | salga |
| hacer (to do, make) | hago | haga |
| decir (to say) | digo | diga |
| conocer (to know a person) | conozco | conozca |
| parecer (to seem) | parezco | parezca |
Infinitive → yo form → subjuntivo (yo)
In a sentence
No creo que tenga tiempo.
I don't think he has time.
Necesito que me digas la verdad.
I need you to tell me the truth.
No creo que te conozca.
I don't think he knows you.
Stem-changing verbs (e→ie, o→ue, e→i) keep the change, because it is already in the yo form.
Stem changes in the subjuntivo
| Infinitive | yo form | Subjuntivo |
|---|---|---|
| pensar (e→ie) | pienso | piense |
| poder (o→ue) | puedo | pueda |
| sentir (e→ie) | siento | sienta |
| dormir (o→ue) | duermo | duerma |
| pedir (e→i) | pido | pida |
Infinitive → yo form → subjuntivo (yo)
In nosotros and vosotros, -ar/-er verbs make no change (pensemos, podamos). -ir verbs make a weaker change there, e→i and o→u: sentir → sintamos, dormir → durmamos, pedir → pidamos.
Stem changes in a sentence
Dudo que pueda hacerlo.
I doubt I can do it.
No quiero que nos sintamos solos.
I don't want us to feel lonely.
Es importante que durmamos bien.
It's important that we sleep well.
Spelling in -car, -gar, -zar
To keep the pronunciation the same, the spelling changes before the -e of the subjuntivo.
Spelling before -e
| Infinitive | Change | Subjuntivo |
|---|---|---|
| buscar (to look for) | c → qu | busque |
| llegar (to arrive) | g → gu | llegue |
| cruzar (to cross) | z → c | cruce |
Infinitive → subjuntivo (yo)
In a sentence
Quiero que busques otro piso.
I want you to look for another flat.
Es mejor que cruces por aquí.
It's better that you cross here.
