Ch 19 · Lesson 17Spanish · Chapter 19 · Lesson 17 · Grammar primer
The subjunctive after wishes
, but : verbs of wanting and hoping take + subjunctive when someone else acts.
The short version
Different subjects or at all
.
Why?Hide
The trigger only fires when the two clauses have different subjects. needs the subjunctive because I want and you come. takes a bare infinitive, because it is all me. English hides the rule by using 'to come' for both, which is exactly why learners over- . Ask who is doing the second verb.
When you want, hope or need someone else to do something, Spanish uses + the subjunctive. When it is the same person, it uses the infinitive:
.- I want you to come..- I want to come.
Wishes at a glance
| Trigger | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| . | I want you to come. |
| . | I hope you' well. |
| . | I'd rather you did it. |
| . | I need you to help me. |
| . | I'm asking you to come. |
| . | I hope it's true. |
| same person | . | I want to come. |
A wish is not a fact yet, and the subjunctive is the mood for what is not yet real. On the AQA GCSE this is Higher tier.
The trigger verbs
From hoping to needing, every verb that pushes someone else to act takes the subjunctive:
- espero queI hope
- quiero queI want
- te pido queI’m asking you
- necesito queI need
.- I hope you arrive soon..- I'm asking you to listen to me..- I need you to tell me the truth..- I wish you luck.
Decir que: telling, or reporting
takes the subjunctive when it passes on an order, and the indicative when it reports a fact:
| Meaning | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| an order | . | My mother says you should come. |
| a fact | . | My mother says you' coming. |
| an order | . | Tell him to come. |
Different subjects: que + subjunctive
Ask who does the second verb. Someone else: + subjunctive. The same person: the infinitive, with no :
| Who acts | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| someone else | . | I want you to study more. |
| same person | . | I want to study more. |
| someone else | . | He/she hopes we win. |
| same person | . | He/she hopes to win. |
| someone else | . | I'd rather you stayed at home. |
| same person | . | I'd rather stay at home. |
English says to study in both I want to study and I want you to study, which is why learners put where it does not belong. Spanish never uses + infinitive here.
is the one loose verb: . (I hope I can go) is the standard form, though you will also hear . with the same meaning. The infinitive is never wrong.
Going further: Ojalá and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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