INDICATIVE

Overview
The indicative (el indicativo) is one of three moods in Spanish, the other two being
the subjunctive and the imperative. The indicative mood is used to talk about actions, events, or
states that are believed to be facts or true. It is very typical in speech for making factual statements or
describing obvious qualities of a person or situation.

The indicative mood includes many verb tenses to express the above situations in four different time
periods:

1. Present (simple present and present perfect)

 Maria es una mujer muy alta e inteligente. (Maria is a very tall and intelligent woman.)
 Ángela ha estudiado español por cuatro años. (Angela has studied Spanish for four years.)

2. Past (simple past (preterite), imperfect, and past perfect)

 Luis habló con su madre ayer. (Luis spoke with his mother yesterday.)
 Roberto jugaba con amigos cada día por las tardes. (Roberto used to play with friends every
day in the afternoon.)
 Joaquín había viajado mucho antes de encontrar su esposa. (Joaquin had traveled a lot before
he met his wife.)

3. Future (informal future, simple future, and future perfect)

 Anita va a ver una película. (Anita is going to watch a movie.)

 Te llamaré mañana por la tarde. (I will call you tomorrow afternoon.)
 Ya habré cocinado la cena. (I will have already made dinner.)

4. Conditional (simple conditional and conditional perfect)

 Me gustaría un té helado, por favor. (I would like an iced tea, please.)

 Habría estudiado más si tuviera el tiempo. (I would have studied more if I had had the time.)
SUBJUNCTIVE
The subjunctive is one of the three moods in Spanish, the other two being the indicative (actions, events,
facts) and the imperative(commands). Moods reflect how the speaker feels about an action while a tense
refers to when an action takes place. The subjunctive mood is used to express desires, doubts, the
unknown, the abstract, and emotions, which is the opposite of the indicative mood which is used to
express actions, events, and states that are believed to be true and concrete. Most of the tenses you
have learned so far have been in the indicative mood; however, the subjunctive mood includes many of
the same verb tenses, but not all, in three different time periods:
Tense Mood

Subjunctive Indicative

Past imperfect imperfect

past perfect past perfect

preterit

Present present present

present perfect present perfect

Future simple future simple future

future perfect future perfect

informal future

Conditional*there are no conditional subjunctive tensesconditional

conditional perfect

General Rules for Indicative vs. Subjunctive

- In general, the Indicative mood is objective and certain.

 It is used to talk about actions, events, or states that are believed to be facts or true.
 It is very typical in speech for making factual statements or describing obvious qualities of a
person or situation.

- In general, the subjunctive mood is subjective and possible (but not certain).

 It is used to talk about doubts, wishes, the abstract, emotions, and other unknown and non-
factual situations.
 It is commonly used in making recommendations, giving commands, and talking about how
things make you feel.
 It is also used to express opinions about another action.

Indicative Reason Subjunctive Reason

 The introduction of doubt
This states an Dudo que
makes it impossible to present
Victoria estudiaespañol. objective fact that Victoriaestudie español.
the statement that Victoria
(Victoria studies Spanish.) Victoria studies (I doubt that Victoria studies Spanish as an objective
Spanish. studies Spanish.) fact.

From the viewpoint From the viewpoint of the

Es cierto que of the speaker, the Es posible que speaker, the idea that
Victoriaestudia español. statement that Victoriaestudie español. "Victoria studies Spanish" is

(It is certain that Victoria Victoria studies (It is possible that Victoria not an objective fact, but a
studies Spanish.) Spanish is an studies Spanish.) hypothetical situation which
objective fact. may or may not be true.

The lack of doubt on

No dudo que the part of the Es bueno que Es bueno que expresses the
Victoriaestudia español. speaker allows him Victoriaestudie español. speaker’s subjective opinion
(I don’t doubt that Victoria to present this (It is good that Victoria about Victoria studying
studies Spanish.) statement as an studies Spanish.) Spanish.
objective fact.

Words or Phrases that Indicate the Subjunctive or Indicative

Because there must be some uncertainty or subjectivity to warrant the use of the subjunctive, you will find
either uncertainty or certainty in the verb in the main clause of a sentence. It is very helpful if you can
recognize the verbs and phrases in the main clause that indicate the subjunctive and tell them apart from
similar clauses that warrant the indicative.

Luckily, many of the verbs and phrases that require the subjunctive fit into the
acronym WEIRDO: Wishes, Emotions, Impersonal expressions, Recommendations, Doubt/Denial,
and Ojalá. Each of these concepts has its own article for more details.
Concept Related Verbs & Phrases

Wishes desear, esperar, exigir, insistir, preferir, querer, pedir, necesitar, etc.

Emotions alegrarse, enojar, sentir, encantar, lamentar, sorprender, etc.

Impersonal
es extraño que, es importante que, es fantástico que, etc.
expressions

Recommendations recomendar, sugerir, aconsejar, ordenar, mandar, insistir, etc.

dudar, no creer, no estar seguro, no parecer, no comprender, no pensar, no es

Doubt and Denial
cierto que, etc.

Ojalá n/a

And just to be fair to the indicative, we have an acronym for that too: SPOCK: Speech and
communication, Perceptions,Occurrences and events, Certainty, and Knowledge and understanding.
Concept Related Verbs

Speech and Decir, describir, gritar, indicar, mencionar, repetir, revelar, señalar, asegurar,
communication comentar, afirmar, aludir a, etc.

Perceptions Notar, observar, oír, percibir, encontrarse, ver, etc.

Occurrences and events Ocurrir, suceder, pasar, acontecer, etc.

es claro que, es seguro que, es cierto que, es obvio que, no es posible que, es
Certainty
evidente que, etc.

Knowledge and
Creer, saber, averiguar, leer, enterarse de, aprender, etc.
understanding

Parts of a Subjunctive Phrase

There are three main parts to a subjunctive sentence:

1. Two Different Subjects

There will be one subject in the main/independent clause, and one in the noun/dependent clause.

 Quiero que limpies el baño. (I want you to clean the bathroom.)

2. Two Verbs: One WEIRDO and One Subjunctive

There will be one indicative verb in the main/independent clause which will indicate the need for the
Subjunctive (a WEIRDO verb - see above) and a second verb in the noun/dependent clause which will be
in the Subjunctive.

 Quiero que tú limpies el baño. (I want you to clean the bathroom.)

However, if you find a sentence with a main clause followed by a second clause and the verb in the main
clause introduces the idea of certainty or objectivity, you will use the indicative. Only verbs in the main
clause that indicate a concept that is uncertain and subjective will require the subjunctive.

 Es cierto que limpias el baño. (It is true that you are cleaning the bathroom.)

3. A Relative Pronoun (Que, Quien, Como)

This pronoun links the two clauses and can translate to mean “that,” but is often not translated at all into
English.

 Quiero que limpies el baño. (I want (that) you clean the bathroom./I want you to clean the
bathroom.)
IMPERATIVE

Overview
The imperative mood is used to tell someone to do something in a direct manner, or simply, a command.
For a softer command, the subjunctive is often used. Because Spanish has two ways to address
someone directly based on formality (tú and usted) there are two different manners in commanding these
people. There are also commands for nosotros (Let's...) and impersonal commands (No smoking).

The following categories of commands include both affirmative and negative commands:

1. Informal Commands

Affirmative informal (tú) commands

Tú commands are the singular form of informal commands. To tell a friend, family member,
classmate, child, or pet to do something, use the affirmative tú command. To tell one of those same
people not to do something, use the negative tú command. This article covers the affirmative
informal command (informal imperative) in all its forms.

 Compra (tú) los libros. (Buy the books.) - affirmative

 No camines (tú) en el césped. (Don’t walk on the grass.) - negative

Affirmative Informal Tú Command Forms

For the familiar affirmative commands, you will simply use the 3rd person singular form of the present
indicative.

-AR verbs: Add the 3rd person singular ending -a to the stem

 (Comprar) Compra la camisa. (Buy the shirt.)

-ER verbs: Add the 3rd person singular ending -e to the stem

 (Aprender) ¡Aprende español! (Learn Spanish!)

-IR verbs: Add the 3rd person singular ending -e to the stem

 (Escribir) ¡Escribe el ensayo! (Write the essay!)

For verbs with stem changes or spelling changes in the present tense, the stem or spelling change still
applies.

 (Cerrar) Cierra la puerta. (Close the door.)

 (Mover) Mueve esas sillas. (Move those chairs.)
  (Incluir) Incluye tu información aquí. (Include your information here.)

Irregular Affirmative Informal Tú Commands

All irregular 3rd person singular present indicative verbs keep that same irregularity in the affirmative
informal command except the following 8 verbs which have a special irregular form in the affirmative
command.
decir di salir sal

hacer haz ser sé

ir ve tenerten

ponerponvenir ven

Pronoun Placement with Commands

Pronoun placement: the pronoun is attached to the end of affirmative commands and the verb carries a
tilde to maintain its original stress.

 Tráemelo. (Bring it to me.)

 Dígasela. (Tell it to her.)
 Cómpraselo. (Buy it for him.)
 Ponte los zapatos. (Put on your shoes.)

Punctuation to the Rescue!

Because the informal tú command (imperative) is the same conjugation form as the 3rd person singular, it
is helpful to include exclamation points to indicate urgency or the name of the person you are
commanding followed by a comma. Without the comma, your sentence is just the 3rd person singular
present indicative. Compare the following sentences written with different punctuation:

• Compra la camisa. (She buys the shirt.) - present indicative

• ¡Compra la camisa! (Buy the shirt!) - informal imperative
• Alicia compra la camisa. (Alicia buys the shirt.) - present indicative
• Alicia, compra la camisa. (Alicia, buy the shirt.) - informal imperative
2. Formal Commands

Formal Affirmative and Negative Commands

Formal commands are used when addressing people in a formal manner. Use formal commands when
addressing people you do not know well, people older than you, or people that you generally show
respect (boss, teacher, priest, etc.) For all countries other than Spain, also use these commands to
address any group of people.
Singular (usted)

 Pague la cuenta, por favor. (Pay the bill, please.)

 Sea amable. (Be nice.)
 Abra la ventana. (Open the window.)

Plural (ustedes)

 Damas y caballeros, pasen por aquí. (Ladies and gentlemen, go this way.)
 Vengan más temprano mañana. (Come earlier tomorrow.)
 Estudiantes, abran sus libros. (Students, open your books.)

Affirmative Formal Command Forms

All Ud. (usted) and Uds. (ustedes) commands are the same as the Ud. and Uds. present
subjunctive forms.
usted present usted formal ustedes present ustedes formal
infinitive
subjunctive command subjunctive command

hablar hable hable hablen hablen

comer coma coma coman coman

vivir viva viva vivan vivan

Irregular present subjunctive forms can be found in the article on the present subjunctive.
Pronoun Placement in Affirmative Formal Commands

Pronoun placement: the pronoun(s) is/are attached to the end of affirmative commands. To preserve the
original stress of the verb in case it has more than one syllable, a written accent is added.

 Tráigamelo. (Bring it to me.)

 Cómalo. (Eat it.)

Negative Formal Commands

Negative formal commands couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is add a negative word such as no in
front of the affirmative formal command/usted present subjunctive form.
  No saquen sus libros. (Do not take out your books.)
 No ponga su bolsa aquí. (Do not put your purse here.)
 No vengan mañana. (Do not come tomorrow.)

Pronoun Placement in Negative Formal Commands

Pronoun placement: the pronoun precedes the verb in negative commands and follows the negative
word.

 No se levante antes de leer el artículo. (Don’t get up before you read the article.)
 Nunca les compre dulces a los niños. (Never buy candy for the children.)
 Nunca se los compre. (Never buy it for them.)

3. Nosotros Commands

Overview
The nosotros command is used when the speaker suggests an action to be performed by a group of
people he or she belongs to. There are two ways to form nosotros commands in Spanish: the subjunctive
form and the ir + a + infinitive form.

 Trabajemos juntos. (Let’s work together.)

 Comamos aquí. (Let’s eat here.)
 Vamos a ir a la playa. (Let’s go to the beach.)
 ¡Vamos a divertirnos! (Let’s have some fun!)

The Subjunctive Nosotros Command Form

The subjunctive form for the “nosotros command” is most commonly used form in informal speech among
friends. To form the subjunctive nosotros command, simply state the verb in the nosotros form of
the present subjunctive.

 Tomemos un taxi. (Let's take a taxi.)

 Comamos aquí. (Let's eat here.)
 Leamos los periódicos. (Let’s read the newspapers.)

Exceptions

You will use the present indicative instead of the present subjunctive for the verb ir in the affirmative.

 Vamos al restaurante. (Let’s go to the restaurant.)

 Vamos a nadar. (Let’s go swim.)
 Vámonos de aquí. (Let’s get out of here.)
 Vámonos de la casa en cinco minutos. (Let’s leave the house in five minutes.)
When attaching a pronoun to the end of a nosotros command, drop the final -s of the verb before
attaching the pronoun and add an orthographic accent to the second to last syllable of the verb. - See
Pronoun Placement below.
Negative Nosotros Commands

For negative nosotros commands, there is only one form: the present subjunctive. Simply add a no, or
other negative word, in front of the verb to make the command negative.

 No nademos. (Let’s not swim.)

 No salgamos. (Let’s not leave.)
 Nunca vayamos allí. (Let’s never go there.)

Pronoun Placement
When attaching direct and indrect object pronouns or reflexive pronouns to the end of affirmative nosotros
commands, drop the final -s of the verb before attaching the pronoun and add an orthographic accent to
the second to last syllable of the original verb.

 Sentemos + nos = Sentémonos aquí. (Let's sit here.)

 Hagamos + se + la = Hagámosela. (Let's make it for her.)
 Vamos + nos = ¡Vámonos! (Let’s go!)

Pronoun Placement

The pronoun(s) is/are attached to the end of affirmative commands. And since the main verb of the
command is also an infinitive, it will always be attached.

 Vamos a sentarnos aquí. (Let’s sit here.)

 Vamos a dormirnos. (Let’s go to sleep.)

Reflexive, object, and indirect object pronouns follow negative words but precede the verb.

 No lo comamos. (Let’s not eat it.)

 No se lo demos. (Let’s not give it to them.)

4. Indirect Commands

Overview
Indirect commands are common for giving commands through a third party or to an unspecific recipient.
They are given in a general sense and apply to all listeners or readers. They are mostly used in signs,
instructions, or recipes. While the ustedes command could also be used in the same situations, the
infinitive command has more of a sense of generality when it comes to the audience. There are two kinds
of indirect commands: Que commands and Infinitive Commands.

 Que pase. (Let him in.)

 Que me llamen. (Have them call me.)
 No pisar en el césped. (No walking on the grass.)
 Mezclar los ingredients en un tazón. (Mix the ingredients in a bowl.)

Que Commands
Que commands are used to state a wish or hope that something will happen. They are commonly used
when referring to a third person. To form the Que Command, use the following formula:

que + present subjunctive

 Que tenga un buen día. ((I want you to) Have a good day.)
 Que no vea mi madre. (I hope my mother doesn’t see.)
 Que venga el cliente. (Have the client come in.)
 Que se lleva Anita la camisa negra. (Have Anita wear the black shirt.)

* If there are pronouns, they should be placed between que and the subjunctive verb.

Infinitive Commands
To form the infinitive command, simply use the infinitive. Do not conjugate it!

 No fumar. (No smoking.)

 Ver las notas abajo. (See the notes below.)
 Batir los huevos. (Beat the eggs.)

* If there are pronouns, attach them to the end of the verb, since it is an infinitive.