Kilo Lingo
Spanish grammar Part of Chapter 38

CEFR B2

4 min read

Test yourself (16 questions)

Spanish Subjunctive Set Phrases: pase lo que pase, ojalá

By Michael McGettrick and Sergio Linares-HernandesUpdated 12 October 2026

Some subjunctives come ready-made inside fixed phrases. There is no trigger to spot: you learn the phrase whole, like a word:

Quick check

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

Spot the mistake

0/3

Each sentence has one mistake. Tap it.

  • , . - Whatever happens, I'll be here.
  • . - Get well soon.

Set phrases at a glance

The whole page on one screen. The box shows which subjunctive each phrase locks in.

present subjunctiveimperfect subjunctivepluperfect subjunctiveWhat do the colours mean?
PhraseSpanishEnglish
doubled verb whatever happens
a good wish .Have a good day.
a live hope .I hope he/she comes.
an unlikely wish .I wish he/she were here.
a regret .I wish he/she had come.
as if as if he/she knew everything
scorn¡ !Anyone would think you were rich!
a sigh¡ !If only I could!
a hedge as far as I know
just in case in case it rains

The last row is the odd one out: takes the indicative.

Pase lo que pase: the doubled verb

present subjunctiveWhat do the colours mean?

Put a subjunctive verb, then (or , , ), then the same verb again. It means "whatever", "however" or "whoever", and every outcome at once:

Verb
Link
Same verb
The rest
,
.
,
.
,
.
,
.
PhraseSpanishEnglish
whatever happens
whatever it costs
whatever they say
whatever you do
wherever you go
one way or another
whoever it is

In a sentence:

  • , . - Whatever it costs, I'll get it.
  • , . - Whatever you do, don't tell him/her.

(as you like) is the single-verb cousin: . - Do it however you like.

Good wishes: que tengas un buen día

present subjunctiveWhat do the colours mean?

A bare + present subjunctive is a good wish. It is the tail of (I hope that), with the dropped:

WhenSpanishEnglish
saying goodbye .Have a good day.
someone is ill .Get well soon.
at the table .Enjoy your meal.
at bedtime .Sleep well.
before a trip .All the best.
before an exam .Good luck.
before a party .Have a good time.
a birthday .Many happy returns.
Four faces: a girl grinning with sparkles and a heart (happy); a yawning boy with heavy eyelids under a moon (tired); a girl with a cold compress, a thermometer and a scarf (ill); a curly-haired boy frowning with steam puffing from his head (angry).
  1. .
  2. .

Que descanses: sleep well, to the tired boy. Que te mejores: get well soon, to the girl who is ill.

To a stranger, use the forms: . - Have a good day.

Ojalá: how reachable is the hope?

present subjunctiveimperfect subjunctivepluperfect subjunctiveWhat do the colours mean?

comes from an Arabic phrase meaning "if God wills", and it never changes. The verb after it is always subjunctive, and its tense says how reachable the hope is:

How reachable is the hope?
Could still happenToo late
  1. Ojalá venga.I hope he/she comes
  2. Ojalá viniera.I wish he/she would come
  3. Ojalá hubiera venido.I wish he/she had come
HopeSpanishEnglish
still open .I hope it rains tomorrow.
unlikely now .I wish he/she were here.
unreal .I wish I had more time.
too late .I wish he/she had come.

In much of Latin America, + imperfect subjunctive can also be a plain open hope: . - I hope he/she comes tomorrow.

means the same: . - I hope we win. The full subjunctive after wishes page has the live version of this hope.

Como si: as if

imperfect subjunctivepluperfect subjunctiveWhat do the colours mean?

compares what is true with something imagined, so it always takes a past subjunctive, whatever the main verb:

Compared withSpanishEnglish
now .He/She talks as if he/she knew everything.
now .He spends money as if he were rich.
earlier .He/She looked at me as if he/she had seen a ghost.

The imperfect subjunctive compares with the same moment; the pluperfect subjunctive with something before it. The indicative ( ) and the present subjunctive ( ) are both wrong. Its forms are on the imperfect subjunctive.

Ni que and quién: scorn and a sigh

imperfect subjunctiveWhat do the colours mean?

Two spoken flourishes borrow the same past subjunctive. mocks a pretension ("anyone would think..."); + imperfect subjunctive sighs for something out of reach:

PhraseSpanishEnglish
¡ !Anyone would think you were rich!
¡ !Anyone would think he was the boss!
¡ !As if we had all day!
¡ !If only I could!
¡ !Oh, to be twenty again!

This asks nothing: it means "if only I", not "who".

Que yo sepa and por si

present subjunctiveWhat do the colours mean?

yo (as far as I know) is a fixed hedge, at either end of the sentence:

  • , . - As far as I know, he/she hasn't arrived.
  • , . - No one else is coming, as far as I know.

(in case) is the exception on this page: it takes the present indicative, never the present subjunctive. Its cousin takes the subjunctive:

PhraseSpanishEnglish
.Take a coat in case it's cold.
, .Take some money, just in case.
in case it rains

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
takes a past subjunctive
never the present subjunctive
both halves are subjunctive
always takes the subjunctive
a wish takes the subjunctive
takes the indicative
takes a past subjunctive

What to do next

  1. Learn the good wishes first: you will use them every day.
  2. Do the birthday message and the or sort below.
  3. Then si clauses, which use the same past subjunctive as .

Practise: test yourself

Complete the story

0/4

Choose the right form for each gap.

A birthday message

¡Feliz cumpleaños! Que lo muy bien hoy. Ojalá ir a verte, pero estoy muy lejos. Pase lo que , te llamo esta noche. Y no trabajes tanto: ¡ni que la jefa!

Gap 1 of 4

Sort into groups

0/4

Which form fills the gap: sepa or supiera?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Spot the mistake

0/4

Each sentence has one mistake. Tap it.

Pick the right one

0/4

Choose the form the phrase needs.

  1. Sea como , lo terminamos hoy.

  2. Sea sea, no abras la puerta.

  3. Me miró como si un fantasma. (as if he/she had seen)

  4. Que te pronto. (get well soon)

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Frequently asked questions

Why does use the subjunctive twice?
Because it every possible outcome at once, and none of them is a fact. The frame is a subjunctive verb, (or , , ), then the same verb again: (whatever happens), (whatever they say), (one way or another), (whoever it is). Pick the verb, then double it.
Does always take the subjunctive?
In the meaning as if, yes, and always a past one, whatever the tense of the main verb. The imperfect subjunctive compares with something at the same time: (he/she talks as if he/she knew everything). The pluperfect subjunctive compares with something earlier: (he/she looked at me as if he/she had seen a ghost). and are both wrong.
What is the difference between and ?
How reachable the hope is. + present subjunctive is a hope that can still come true: (I hope he/she comes). + imperfect subjunctive wishes for something unlikely or untrue now: (I wish he/she were here). + pluperfect subjunctive is a regret about the past: (I wish he/she had come).
Why does use the subjunctive with no main verb?
Because it is a wish with the first half left off. The full sentence is (I hope you have a good day); Spanish drops and keeps the subjunctive. The same goes for (get well soon), (enjoy your meal) and (sleep well).
Is it or ?
. (in case) takes the present indicative: (take a coat in case it's cold). The imperfect subjunctive is also possible, , but the present subjunctive is wrong after . is the one that takes the present subjunctive: .