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¡Una fiesta sorpresa para mi hermana!

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Spanish Wish List - Una persona hispanohablante a quien me gustaría conocer 

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Spanish Wish List - Una persona hispanohablante a quien me gustaría conocer 

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Me gustaría conocer a Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz.  Quiero saber cómo era ella de verdad y qué pensaba de la iglesia y de los derechos de la mujer en aquella éoca.

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Me interesa la película "También la lluvia" por que habla de una guerra de agua y me parece un tema importante en este momento de la historia.

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Directed by Icíar Bollaín. With Gael García Bernal, Luis Tosar, Karra Elejalde, Juan Carlos Aduviri. As a director and his crew shoot a controversial film about Christopher Columbus in Cochabamba, Bolivia, local people rise up against plans to privatize the water supply.

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Introduction to the Present Subjunctive in Spanish

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The Spanish Subjunctive in a nutshell

The first thing to realise about the Spanish subjunctive is that it is not a tense, but rather a "mood", which has its own tense system (sorry... Another one to learn!). It's helpful to think of it as a shift to another perspective, one where you are viewing the world through the perspective of human judgment. Using the subjunctive means that you are adding a human, emotional element to what you are saying, rather than simply stating a fact. The subjunctive and the indicative are the two mood systems that make up the Spanish language.

In this article we'll assume you're familiar with the form of the subjunctive. If you're not, it's certainly a good idea to go out and learn the various conjugations. Learning the forms is the easiest part of the subjunctive - the hard part is knowing how and when to use it.

Using the subjunctive

There are two schools of thought in how best to learn how to use the subjunctive. One way is to learn the verb conjugations where the subjunctive is used, and this is what one Spanish scholar originally did in 1894 (Ramsey, "A Textbook of Modern Spanish"). Ramsey categorised the instances of the use of the Spanish subjunctive into the following classes:

Command

Demand/request

Proposal/suggestion

Desire

Emotion/feeling

Impersonal expression

Deinal, doubt

Indefinite relative

Exception

Concession

Permission

Negative result

Supposition

Proviso

Imperative

Exclamatory wishes

Conditions of implied negation

Approval/preference

Prohibition/hindrance

Did you remember all of those? No? That's the main problem with this approach. There are a large number of taxonomies which have been collated by linguists, and these are very difficult for the learner to memorise, internalise, and then correctly use. Moreover, it raises the question of how these categories were decided in the first place. They certainly weren't devised by some cruel grammarian to torture Spanish learners. So what is it that binds all of these categories together? The second school of thought looks at the subjunctive as a marker of meaning, rather than a collection of uses.

What does the subjunctive mean?

The subjunctive is used when speakers want to add either a layer of emotion or "unreality" to what they are saying. When we speak, we frequently make assertions - things which we believe to be true about the world. If I say "he's eating", I'm making an assertion about someone eating. We can consider this as a "fact", and this is where the indicative is used. When there is no doubt, just the assertion of a fact, we use the indicative. So, "he's eating" becomes el come. So far, so simple.

However, as a speaker, I can comment on the assertions I make. I can add a layer of emotion by doubting, denying, judging, and all other subjective actions that humans can make. I could say "it's terrible that he's eating", or "I'm so happy he's eating", etc. This, then, is when we use the subjunctive. It's signifies the layer of subjectivity and emotion which is added to the assertion.

To make a comparison to ice cream, the indicative is plain vanilla: Just the fact, simply stated (or "asserted"). The subjunctive consists of all the toppings of human emotion sprinkled on top, changing the flavour of the ice cream.

So, "it's terrible he's eating" becomes es terrible que coma, and "I'm so happy he's eating" becomes Me alegro mucho que esté comiendo.

Some more uses of the subjunctive

To expand on the idea above, there are a few other common instances when we use the subjunctive, which all still fall under the same "layer of emotion" theme:

Non-reality

When we comment on our assertions, we can express all sorts of beliefs regarding how true we believe the assertion to be. We can doubt, deny, dis-believe, and more. For these "un-real" comments, we also use the subjunctive:

"I don't believe Liz is coming": Yo no creo que Liz venga

"I doubt that Liz is coming": Yo dudo que Liz venga

But, when we express belief that something is true (reality), we use the indicative:

"I think Liz is coming": Creo que Liz viene

If we're expressing that something is perhaps true, perhaps false, we also use the subjunctive:

"It's possible that Liz is coming": Es posible que venga Liz

We can extend this idea of "non-reality" to hypothetical situations - to situations which are contrary to fact, or which are not real. This is used in conditional statements:

"I think Liz would come if I asked her" (reality: I haven't asked her): Creo que Liz vendría si le invitara

"We would have eaten if there were any food" (reality: There wasn't any food): Habríamos comido si hubiera comida

Imposition of will

When you want something to happen, you are also expressing non-reality. If I want Liz to arrive, or I want her to make me a sandwich, I want something which is not true, or does not exist, at the moment. That's why the subjunctive is used with commands, orders, imperatives, and other types of speech which express the imposition of will:

"I want Liz to come": Quiero que venga Liz

"He said that you were to leave": Dijo que te fueras

This is also used with negative:

"Don't tell me anything": No me digas nada

Selection is not automatic

One of the biggest problems with many of the classic approaches to teaching the Spanish subjunctive is that it is something that is "triggered" by certain verbs or sequences. While it's true that the subjunctive might be the most likely choice after certain verbs, this ignores the fact that the subjunctive is used to reflect a speaker's attitude, rather than being used as a matter of course. Fill in the blank type exercises are a really poor way to practise the subjunctive, as they give you no handle on speaker intent.

Selection of either one of the moods is not controlled by the words that are used, but by you, the speaker. Using the indicative indicates straight-forward information, and the subjunctive expresses "attitude" towards whatever information you're giving. You can see the difference the use of the subjunctive makes in the following sentences:

Dice que vienen:"He/she says that they are coming"

Dice que vengan:"He/she says that they are to come"

An exercise

We'll finish with an exercise. Look at the phrases below, and decide why the indicative or subjunctive has been used in each case:
El sol sale a las siete Nos sorprende que se casen Ojalá que no llueva Salimos si no llueve Tememos que se van Tememos que se vayan
You'll always find examples of the subjunctive which surprise you. The key is to notice - notice why the subjunctive has been used, and what effect this has on the sentence. That way, you'll become more fluent and natural in using it yourself, without having to resort to tedious fill-in-the-blank exercises. If nothing else, the subjunctive is not usually a barrier to communication. If you get it wrong, it's not the end of the world!

Have you found any easy ways to approach the subjunctive? Let us know in the comments below!

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Few parts of Spanish grammar instil such dread in Spanish learners as the subjunctive. Entire books have been devoted to the treatment of the subjunctive, and as English speakers we are constantly baffled by it. However, by bearing a few things in mind we can come to understand the Spanish subjunctive, learn the forms, and use it correctly, naturally, and fluently.

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Quiero mejorar en el uso del subjuntivo. Todavía no lo entiendo bien.

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I suffered from subjunctivitis for a long time.

Long after I had my forms of ser and estar straight...

Long after I was happily chatting away in the present indicative...

I was still foundering for five minutes after the words "quieres que nos..." or "no es necesario que...", as I hunted around for the subjunctive conjugation, or tried to figure out whether the subjunctive was even appropriate.

My Spanish friends would stand looking concerned, wondering if I was having some kind of attack.

Eventually they learned to recognise the symptoms of my subjunctivitis.

In this post I'm going to teach you how to cure your subjunctivitis, at least in the present tense. The subjunctive in Spanish is a mood. It is not a tense because it has nothing to do with time, rather it conveys a sense of uncertainty or conditionality.

Comparison Between the English and Spanish Subjunctive

While English speakers often have a lot of trouble with the subjunctive, English does actually have a subjunctive mood; however, it is far less common than in Spanish, and more associated with formal speech and writing. Nevertheless, it is similar enough that it should provide a basis for understanding the Spanish subjunctive.

Think about the following pairs of sentences:

"If I were in your position, I would call the police." "I was in your position, and I called the police."

"The important thing is that you be here." "You are here, and that is the important thing."

"I wish I were a little bit taller." "I am now a little bit taller."

The first sentences in each pair are subjunctive. This allows them to communicate doubt or conditionality. In the second sentence of each pair the outcome is already determined, and the subjunctive is not necessary.

While it preserves the same basic moods of doubt etc., the Spanish subjunctive is used for a far wider variety of purposes than the English. The Spanish subjunctive expresses sentiment or wishes, doubt about a future event, or conditionality. All verbs require a specific conjugation in the Spanish subjunctive, whereas only a handful require different conjugations in English.

You can get a better understanding of this concept by hearing it in use. And you can do that over at FluentU! FluentU takes real-world videos-like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks-and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

The immersive, entertaining content makes grammar and vocabulary much more memorable!

The Trigger Method

It is nice to keep this idea of uncertainty, doubt or desire in mind but, if you're like most people, you'll learn to use the subjunctive by learning certain "triggers" that tell you your sentence is about to be shot headfirst into the subjunctive. The subjunctive mood often occurs in subordinate clauses that begin with que. For example:

"Es probable que salgamos tarde." (It's likely we'll leave late.)

"Es bueno que tengas tiempo libre." (It's good that you have free time.)

In the first sentence, the subjunctive verb expresses a probable, but indefinite, outcome. In the second, it expresses a subjective opinion about whether it is good or bad to have free time.

With the sense of uncertainty or desire removed, these sentences would be:

"Salimos tarde." (We left late.)

"Tienes tiempo libre." (You have free time.)

Note also the beginnings of the sentences: "es probable" and "es bueno." These are classic subjunctive triggers. A complete list of these triggers would be rather long. So here is a short one.

Spanish Subjunctive Triggers

es importante que... (it's important that...)

dudar que... (to doubt that...)

es bueno que... (it's good that...)

es malo que... (it's bad that...)

esperar que... (to hope/wish that...)

es mejor que... (it's better that...)

es raro que... (it's strange that...)

es posible que... (it's possible that...)

es probable que... (it's likely that...)

es necesario que... (it's necessary that...)

hasta que... (until...)

ojalá que... (hopefully...)

no es cierto que... (it's not certain that...)

mientras que... (meanwhile/while...)

sin que... (without...)

The 2 Most Common Subjunctive Triggers in Spanish

There are a couple of subjunctive triggers that deserve their own separate explanation.

The first trigger is a change in person. This happens with a number of verbs. Take to want. If the verb following querer agrees with the subject of querer, you have not got a subjunctive sentence. If the verb following querer is different to the subject of querer, you've got yourself a subjunctive sentence.

For example:

"Yo quiero ir a la piscina." (I want to go to the swimming pool.)

This is not subjuctive. This, however, is:

"Yo quiero que vayas a la piscina." (I want you to go to the swimming pool.)

The same change happens with the verb

"Yo espero llegar pronto." (I hope to arrive soon.)

The above example isn't subjunctive. The following one is:

"Yo espero que él llegue pronto." (I hope he arrives soon.)

The second trigger is the idea of wishing a certain experience on someone. That's a weirdly complex way to express the general rule, but it's basically the equivalent of when you say "Have a safe trip," or "Have a nice day." In English this is obviously an imperative sentence. You're telling someone to have a nice day whether they want to or not. In Spanish the phrase is "Que tengas un buen dia." Or "Que te vayas bien." These are subjunctive statements.

Together, these are the two most common ways you'll encounter the subjunctive in everyday conversation. So they're worth understanding.

Spanish Subjunctive Conjugations

The subjunctive is usually the last of the set of verb conjugations that Spanish learners get the hang of. The conjugations are actually very straightforward. We're going to assume you've already got your present indicative and imperative conjugations locked down. In that case, learning the subjunctive conjugations for regular verbs is not at all difficult.

How to Make a Spanish Subjunctive Conjugation

1. You begin with the stem used for the first person present indicative, for example encuentr- for encontrar, and hag- for hacer.

2. Then make the same vowel switch you use for the "usted" imperative tense. So the A in the -AR verbs becomes an E, and the Es and Is in -ER and -IR verbs become As (this includes the "o" in the first person forms). The following table summarizes these rules.

Regular present subjunctive endings

Stem AR verbs ER and IR verbs
Yo -e -a
Tú -es -as
Usted, él, ella -e -a
Nosotros -emos -amos
Vosotros -éis -áis
Ustedes, ellos, ellas -en -an

The usual "go" or "yo-go" irregular verbs such as hacer (hago), decir (digo), venir (vengo), etc. take the same irregular conjugations in the present subjunctive as they do in the present indicative (with the A/E substitution described above).

Going back to our verbs from step one, because encontrar is an -AR verb, it takes on the E endings: encuentre, encuentres, encuentre, encuentréis, encontremos, encuentren; likewise, because hacer is an -ER verb, it takes on the A endings: haga, hagas, haga, hagáis, hagamos, hagan.

There are only 6 verbs that are specifically irregular in the present subjunctive.

Irregular verbs in the present subjunctive

The six irregular verbs in the present subjunctive are:
Yo esté sepa sea haya dé vaya
tú estés sepas seas hayas des vayas Experience Spanish immersion online!
usted, él, ella esté sepa sea haya dé vaya
nosotros estemos sepamos seamos hayamos demos vayamos
vosotros estéis sepáis seáis hayáis deis vayáis
ustedes, ellos, ellas estén sepan sean hayan den vayan
It is worth remembering that, as in English, most subjunctive Spanish sentences still make sense without the subjunctive conjugation of the verb. Spanish speakers will understand what you're trying to say. So don't stress out if you skip over a subjunctive. Nor should you be afraid to throw a subjunctive conjugation in if it springs to mind. Chances are you're right, and even if you aren't, you'll probably be understood.

If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn Spanish with real-world videos.

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I suffered from subjunctivitis for a long time.Long after I had my forms of ser and estar straight...Long after I was happily chatting away in the present indicative...I was still foundering for five minutes after the words "quieres que nos..." or "no es necesario que...", as I hunted around

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Spanish Wish List-Un lugar que quiero visitar: COSTA RICA 

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Spanish Wish List-Un lugar que quiero visitar: COSTA RICA 

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Costa Rica me interesa por varias razones. Tengo amigos que viven allí y quiero visitarlos. También me encanta el senderismo y hay tantas oportunidades para explorar y caminar en la naturaleza.

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Spanish Wish List -Un plato típico: Mousse de maracuyá.  

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Spanish Wish List -Un plato típico: Mousse de maracuyá.  

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Quiero probarlo porque me encantan los dulces en general y me encanta la maracuyá.

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Observaciones: (1) La canción me gusta porque mezcla español y francés.  Es muy internacional. (2) El video es extraño y no parece ser de muy buena calidad. (3) Me gusta el ritmo; me da ganas de bailar. (4) Manu Chau tiene muchas canciones y es conocido en todo el mundo.
Palabras/expresiones nuevas:
1) Me gustas tú=I like you
2) soñar = to dream
3) camelar = sweet talk/seduce (slang)
4) canela = cinnamon
5) no todo lo que es oro brilla = not all that glitters is gold
6) Malasaña = name of a neighborhood in Madrid (near a university, party neighborhood)

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Aram Ohanian nació en Turquía en 1902. Creció allí con sus padres y sus tres hermanos. Todos en la familia hablaban francés, turco, armenio y greco. Vivían felices. Después de sobrevivir el genecidio, Aram y sus hermanos se trasladaron a países diferentes. Aram fue a vivir en los Estados Unidos en marzo de 1922. Tenía 22 años y no hablaba inglés. Luego, se casó con Elena Benton y vivió toda su vida con ella. Fundaron una organización para los refugiados.

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Miles de frases chistosas, cultas, interesantes, reflexivas, de personajes famosos y muchos mas. Personaliza esta frase para dedicarsela a alguien o cambiale el fondo o la letra aquí: bit.ly/1eTaqdQ Podrás encontrar miles de frases mas en: www.joryx.com/frases