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Spanish grammar Part of Chapter 19

CEFR B1-B2

4 min read

Test yourself (29 questions)

Spanish Present Subjunctive: Forms, Irregulars and Practice

By Michael McGettrick and Sergio Linares-HernandesUpdated 12 October 2026

Take the yo form of the present, drop the -o, and add the other family's vowel: -ar verbs take e, -er and - verbs take a:

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Pick the right one

0/3

Choose the correctly built present subjunctive.

  1. Espero que pronto. (venir, tú)

  2. Quiero que lo ellos. (hacer)

  3. Ojalá suerte. (tener, nosotros)

the part that changesWhat do the colours mean?
hablo loses its -o and takes e: hable
  • . - I want you to speak more.
  • . - I hope you eat well.

The present subjunctive on one screen

Personhablarcomervivir
yo
,

The yo and , forms are the same, and ; the sentence shows who. The accents on -éis and -áis are compulsory. On the AQA GCSE the present subjunctive is Higher tier.

Step one: the yo form

The stem is the yo form without its -o. A verb with an odd yo form keeps the oddity all the way through:

Infinitiveyo, presentSubjunctive
  • . - I want you to do it.
  • . - It's important that we have time.
  • . - I don't want them to go out late.

So most verbs that are irregular in the present are regular here: learn the yo form and the subjunctive comes free.

Step two: the opposite vowel

The ending swaps vowels with the other family. That is why an -ar subjunctive looks like an -er present, and the other way round:

VerbPresentSubjunctive

The same verb, two moods. The present states a fact; the subjunctive follows a trigger such as :

  • . - I know you work a lot.
  • . - I want you to work less.

The six irregulars

the part that changesWhat do the colours mean?

Six verbs do not come from the yo form. Learn them as they are:

Verbyo, él, ellanosotrosellos

Their yo forms (, , he, , , ) do not end in -o the normal way, which is why the rule cannot reach them:

  • . - I hope it's true.
  • . - I want you to go to the party.
  • . - There may be a problem.
  • . - I don't think he/she knows the answer.
  • . - I want you to give me the book.
  • . - I hope you' well.

has an accent only to tell it apart from the preposition ; , and have none. has a written accent in every form except , as in (you are).

Stem-changing verbs

the part that changesWhat do the colours mean?

The stem change rides in with the yo form, in the same persons as the present: every form except and :

Verbyonosotros

The - stem changers go one step further: and take a smaller change, e to i or o to u:

Verbyonosotros
  • . - I hope you sleep well.
  • . - It's better if we sleep here.

Spelling changes

Some verbs change a letter to keep the sound of the consonant once the vowel swaps:

ChangeInfinitiveSubjunctive
-car: c → qu
-gar: g → gu
-: z → c
-ger, -gir: g → j
-guir: gu → g

Before e, a plain c would sound like th or s and a plain g like the ch in loch, so qu and gu keep the hard sound. The first three match the yo preterite: , , .

The last two are already in the yo present, so the yo-form rule brings them in:

Infinitiveyo, presentWhy
before o or a, a plain g would sound hard
before o or a, gu would sound like gw
  • . - I hope you arrive soon.
  • . - I want you to look for the key.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
vienasbuild on the yo form,
tenamosthe yo stem teng- stays
van is one of the six
empiezenz becomes c before e
dormamos- verbs: o becomes u
the accent is compulsory

What to do next

  1. Write the yo form, then the subjunctive, for ten verbs you know.
  2. Do the word-build and sort drills below.
  3. Then the subjunctive after wishes: when to use it.

Practise: test yourself

Build the word

0/5

Build the present subjunctive from its pieces.

  1. tú + hablar

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  2. ella + comer

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  3. nosotros + tener

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  4. ellos + llegar

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  5. nosotros + dormir

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

Sort into groups

0/8

Is each form the present subjunctive or the present indicative?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Pick the right one

0/6

Choose the correctly built present subjunctive.

  1. Espero que pronto. (venir, tú)

  2. Quiero que lo ellos. (hacer)

  3. Ojalá suerte. (tener, nosotros)

  4. Quiero que a la fiesta. (ir, tú)

  5. Es importante que temprano. (empezar, ellos)

  6. Espero que bien. (dormir, ellos)

Matching

0/6

Match each infinitive to its yo present subjunctive.

Spot the mistake

0/4

Each sentence has one wrong verb form. Tap it.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you form the Spanish present subjunctive?
Start from the yo form of the present, drop the final -o and add the opposite vowel's endings. -ar verbs take -e, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en; -er and -ir verbs take -a, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. So gives , gives , gives , and an odd yo form carries through: gives , gives .
What are the irregular present subjunctive verbs?
Six verbs do not come from the yo form: (sea), (), (), (), () and (). Every other verb follows the yo-form rule, with two predictable : the -ir stem changers' and forms (, ) and the spelling changes (, , ).
Why does the present subjunctive use the opposite vowel?
It is a memory hook, and a reliable one. The -ar present is full of a (, ), so its subjunctive switches to e (, ). The -er and -ir present is full of e (comes, vives), so theirs switches to a (, ). The vowel swap is what makes a verb sound subjunctive.
Do stem-changing verbs change in the subjunctive?
Yes, in the same persons as the present: , , but , . The -ir stem changers add one more change in and : gives but , gives but , and has i throughout: , .
Why is it and not busce?
To keep the sound. Before e, a c would sound like th or s, so -car verbs write qu: gives . In the same way -gar verbs write gu () and -zar verbs write c (). These are the same spelling changes as the yo preterite: , , .