Subjuntive Flashcards
Subjunctive Triggers
Time Subordinators (Episodio Especial #96)
These phrases are subjunctive triggers BUT only when the situation is unique / not reoccurring. If the situation is something that happens all the time (a general truth) then indicative is used.
Can also think of the timing. If the subordinated action is in the future (relative to the other action), subjunctive is used.
- When it rains, i get sad.
- Cuando llueve, me pongo triste.
- When it rains, close the windows.
- Cuando llueva, cierra las ventanas.
- I told you to help my sister when she got home.
- Te dije que ayudaras a mi hermana cuando llegara a casa.
- I asked you to leave when my parents got home
- Te pedí que te fueras cuando mis padres llegaran a casa
*in the final two examples above, the verbs are in the past tense, but the subjunctive is still used because (in real time) the subordinated action (e.g. llegara a casa) comes after the other action (e.g. te dije que ayudaras a mi hermana).
- I was tired when I got home.
- Estaba cansado cuando llegué a casa.
- I was angry when I saw them.
- Estaba enojado cuando los vi.
*The two above are good examples of timing being a better test than whether something is reoccurring. In these examples, the situation is not reoccurring; it is unique. Nevertheless, indicative is used. This is at odds with the reoccurrence test. However, if using the timing test, the outcome makes sense. In both sentences, everything happens at once (i.e. the subordinated action does not occur afterward). Therefore, the indicative would be used.
**UPDATE I think the reoccurrence test works good and is simpler to apply. The examples directly above are not subjunctive because they are past actions that already occurred. The other examples using the past tense are subjunctive because they not talking about actions that definitely happened. The situation seems hypothetical/uncertain/incomplete.
Adjective Clauses (Episodio Especial #51)
If describing a noun based on an action, the subjunctive is used when (1) we don’t know if the noun exists (2) we are affirming that the noun doesn’t exist or (3) we know that the noun exists but there are multiple nouns which fit the description and we are not sure which one applies.
Si el hablante describe algo que no existe, o describe algo y no sabe si existe, o describe algo sobre lo que no puede afirmar información, el verbo en esa cláusula va a estar en el subjuntivo.
*not always describing the noun based on an action. more generally, we are describing the noun WITHOUT an adjective (e.g. could be describing a noun with another noun - is there anyone on the plane that is a doctor - hay alguien en el avión que sea médico)
Adverb Clauses (Episodio Especial #48)
When these are present, subjunctive is automatically used (i think)
- antes de que (before)
- para que (so that)
- a menos que (unless)
- con tal de que / siempre y cuando (as long as) (siempre y cuando is more common)
- en caso de que (in the case that)
- sin que (without)
La Forma Reduplicativa (Episodio Especial #117)
- whatever
- wherever
- whoever
- whether or not
i need a phone that has a camara
necesito un teléfono que tenga una cámara
in this case, we know that such a phone exists, but do not know which phone we are talking about. in other words, we cannot affirm all the information about this phone
I need the iPhone that has 3 cameras.
Necesito el iPhone que tiene 3 cámaras.
here, we are referring to a specific iPhone, one which we likely saw in an advertisement or something
I want the earrings that Celine Dion uses.
Quiero los aretes que usa Celine Dion.
There are many people that follow Alex Jones.
Hay muchas personas que siguen a Alex Jones.
I have many friends that like Prince.
Tengo muchos cuates a los que les gusta Prince.
Tengo muchos cuates a quienes les gusta Prince.
In my Karate class there was a person that knew Steven Seagal.
En mi clase de karate había una persona que conocía a Steven Seagal.
Is anyone here a marine biologist?
¿Hay alguien aquí que sea un biólogo marino?
no sabemos si existe esa persona
I need a phone that has an eight inch display.
Necesito un teléfono que tenga una pantalla de ocho pulgadas.
no sabemos si existe ese teléfono
There’s nobody that listens to Rush Limbaugh.
No hay nadie que escuche a Rush Limbaugh.
estamos afirmando que no existe
Anybody that has been to Coachella is stuck up.
Cualquiera que haya ido a Coachella es fresa.
no sabemos si existe esa persona
Do you know anybody that knows how to make sourdough bread?
¿Conoces a alguien que sepa hacer pan de masa fermentada?
no sabemos si existe esa persona
Have you ever gotten a gift that made you cry?
¿Alguna vez has recibido un regalo que te haya hecho llorar?
no sabemos si existe ese regalo
Before you leave, take out the trash please.
Antes de que te vayas, saca la basura porfa.
I liked you until you became a hippie.
Me caías bien antes de que te volvieras un hippie.
Would this work too? Me caías bien hasta que te volvieras un hippie.
GT and SD used indicative with “hasta que.” To me, it makes more sense for subjunctive to be used (situation happened once / subordinated event happened after other event), but not completely sure
You should say you’re sorry before I have left.
Antes de que me haya ido, deberías pedirme perdón.
