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Hola hola! I was wondering if you could explain adverbial clauses with the subjunctive and provide other ways the subjunctive is used without needing two clauses. I'm trying to incorporate it with my speaking, but I have trouble knowing when and when not to use it, especially the Imperfect subjunctive. Gracias!

There are a few adverbial clauses that they teach you that “always” imply the subjunctive. The most common ones are…

con tal de que = provided that

antes de que = before (something happens)

*después de que = after (something happens)

hacer que = to make something (do something)

para que = in order for (something to happen)

es necesario que = it’s necessary that

es probable que = it’s probable that

es dudoso que = it’s doubtful that

no estar seguro/a (de) que = to not be sure whether (something happens)

a fin de que = so that / for the purpose of 

sin que = without that (something happens)

a menos que = unless that (something happens)

a no ser que = unless that / lest (something happens)

en caso de que = in case (something happens)

*hasta que = until (something happens)

*mientras que = while (something happens)

*I say “always” in quotation marks because some of these expressions get bumped off the list periodically as “sometimes” being subjunctive.

For instance, antes de que is always subjunctive, but después de que and hasta que, and mientras que could also be used with preterite/imperfect if you were using it as preterite/imperfect. Not what you’re asking, but there are lists of adverbial phrases.

Voy a comer antes de que lea. = I’m going to eat before I read.

Con tal de que me ayudes. = As long as you help me. / Provided you help me.

Traigo el paraguas en caso de que llueva. = I’m bringing the umbrella in case it rains.

No es necesario que lo hagas. = You don’t have to do it.

Es dudoso que nieve. = It’s doubtful that it will snow.

Subjunctive usually requires an indefinite thing; but sometimes the adverbial phrases exist in different tenses because sometimes they aren’t indefinite.

Generally, when you’re using regular present subjunctive without a clause, it exists as a contrary to fact statement or a probability that is hypothetical.

These phrases sometimes exist with aunque, si, and cuando.

But they translate slightly differently in English: aunque which means “however/although” gets translated as “even though / even if” in subjunctive, si meaning “if” is very fickle, and cuando can translate as “when” for indicative but “whenever” as subjunctive.

*With si it can be either; but usually subjunctive + si is an unlikely possibility or being very polite.

Aunque no te veo… = Although I don’t see you… [I know I can’t see you]

Aunque no te vea… = Even if I don’t see you… [Indefinite; I might see you, I might not]

Aunque no te gusta… = Even though you don’t like it… [known fact that “you” do not like it]

Aunque no te guste… = Even if you don’t like it… [will “you” like it? maybe? who knows?]

Aunque no la conozco… = Even though I don’t know her…

Aunque no la conozca… = Even though I might not know her…

Aunque sea la verdad… = Even if it is true…

Aunque no sepa qué es… = Even if I don’t know what it is…

Aunque no lo hagas… = Even if you don’t do it…

Si tienes tiempo… = If you have time… [normal]

Si tengas tiempo… = If you’ve got the time… [subjunctive, politer]

Si tuvieras tiempo… = If you happen to have the time… [very polite, almost apologetic or groveling]

Cuando tengo hambre… = When I am hungry… [implies a single time]

Cuando tenga hambre… = Whenever I am hungry… [implies every time, or a habit that might continue into the future]

A lot of the time, subjunctive presents itself with indefinite possibilities that may or may not happen in the future.

A common application of it is talking about “whoever” or “whomever”, or “whatever”, “wherever”, “however”… etc.:

Quien lea esto… = Whoever reads this…

A quien corresponda… = To whom it concerns…

Puedo hacer lo que quiera. = I can do whatever I want.

Haz lo que quieras. = Do whatever you want.

Todo lo que puedas imaginar… = Everything you could imagine…

Lo que sea. = Whatever. [lit. “whatever it happens to be”]

No hagas caso lo que te digan los demás. = Pay no attention to whatever anyone else says. [the first hagas is a negative command; the digan is the subjunctive]

[imperfect subjunctive info copy/pasted]

If you know (or sort of know) subjunctive in the present tense, you’ll get it very quickly.

It’s literally desires made in the past, or actions not completed in the past. Typically it involves the preterite or imperfect in one clause, followed by imperfect subjunctive.

Most of the subjunctive clauses like es necesario que, dudar que and so on also apply.

Espero que llueva. = I hope it rains.

Esperaba que lloviera. = I hoped it would rain.

Dudo que nieve. = I doubt it will snow.

Dudaba que nevara. = I doubted it would snow.

Mi madre quiere que ponga la mesa. = My mom wants me to set the table.

Mi madre quería que pusiera la mesa. = My mother wanted me to set the table.

Sugiero que no lo hagas. = I suggest you not do it.

Te dije que no lo hicieras. = I told you you shouldn’t do it.

Es probable que no lo sepa. = It’s probable that he/she doesn’t know it.

Se suponía que no lo supiera. = They assumed that he/she wouldn’t know it.

Sugiero que te vayas. = I suggest you leave.

Te dije que fuera. = I told you to leave. [Usted]

Es posible que sea la verdad. = It’s possible it’s the truth.

Es posible que fuera la verdad. = It’s possible that it was the truth.

Era posible que fuera la verdad. = It was possible it was the truth.

Aunque sea la verdad… = Even if it is true…

Aunque fuera la verdad… = Even if that were true…

Voy a comer antes de que duerma. = I’m going to eat before I go to sleep.

Iba a comer antes de que durmiera. = I was going to eat before I went to sleep.

Si tienes tiempo… = If you have time… [common]

Si tengas tiempo… = If you happen to have time… [polite]

Si tuvieras tiempo… = If you should happen to have time… [very polite; groveling almost… like sickly sweet sucking up polite]

#2 is a more special function of Spanish; because it comes from the future subjunctive. Future subjunctive is obsolete so its functions got put into the imperfect subjunctive.

These are usually contrary to fact statements. And they often come along with the conditional.

Si fuera presidente, ayudaría a los demás. = If I were the present (which I clearly am not), I would help others.

Si tuviera tiempo, lo haría. = If I had time, I would do it.

Si hubiera tenido tiempo, lo habría hecho. = If I’d had the time, I would have done it.

Si la quisiera, me casaría con ella. = If I loved her, I would marry her.

Si lo supiera… = If I’d known… [condition not stated, but you could add anything]

Si dijera la verdad… = If I’d said the truth… [same as above]

Conjugation is actually quite easy if you know preterite forms.

For the most part, they take after preterite 3rd person only with an -ara or -iera instead of the -aron or -eron.

Literally everything about conjugation you need to know is right there in the preterite tenses and that makes it easy because you’re just adding on a different ending to something you’ve already learned.

Supplemental stuff:

Present subjunctive

The Big Subjunctive Post

A Guide to Spanish Subjunctive by lavidapoliglota

How to use the present subjunctive after que by spanishboone

Subjunctive Pt. 1 - Overview

Subjunctive Pt. 2 - Conjugation

Subjunctive Pt. 3 - Spelling Changes

Subjunctive Pt. 4 - Irregular Verbs

Subjunctive Pt. 5 - Desire

Subjunctive Pt. 6 - Ignorance or Doubt

Subjunctive Pt. 7 - Subjunctive Clauses & Phrases

Subjunctive Pt. 8 - Actions not yet Completed

Indicative or Subjunctive?

Subjunctive with si clauses

Indirect Subjunctive / Subjunctive but kind of a command

Present Subjunctive or Imperfect Subjunctive?

Irregular spellings -car, -zar, -gar, and -guar

Explaining Subjunctive

Indefinites + subjunctive

Imperfect subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive w/ conditional

Subjunctive with si clauses

Imperfect Subjunctive without si clauses

Conditional or Subjunctive?

Present Subjunctive or Imperfect Subjunctive?

Explaining Subjunctive

Extra:

Why are there two different forms for imperfect subjunctive? 

Subjunctive or Preterite?

Indicative or Subjunctive w/ cuando

Indicative or Subjunctive w/ aunque

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wow

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1800’s French Military Uniform

Today’s Military Uniforms

where did all the style go

where was the time when you could just

out-fab your opponents

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psa

the millions of people who reside in India speak over 1,652 languages.

"indian" is not one of them.

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A few Dutch sayings in English;

It rains steel pipes.

I fell with the door in the house.

There is nothing on the hand.

I shall let them smell a poopy.

I’m keeping you in the holes.

I don’t trust you for a…

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dad: whaddya got there, son

son: soy milk

dad: hola milk, soy tu padre

[nae-nae-mama]

Sorry for any mistakes, I made this rather quickly…

アラバマ

「arabama」

Alabama

アラスカ

「arasuka」

Alaska

アリゾナ

「arizona」

Arizona

アーカンソー

「aakansoo」

Arkansas

カリフォルニア

「kariforunia」

California

コロラド

「kororado」

Colorado

コネチカット

「konechikatto」

Connecticut

デラウィア

「derau~ia」

Delaware

フロリダ

...

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how did they learn to translate languages into other languages how did they know which words meant what HOW DID TH

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Youtube Channels for Learning Russian

Easy Russian

Antonia Romaker

drpedsen

Russian Grammar

OSUEcampus

Fun Russian

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You only need ~200 words to talk about everyday things

This is part of my guide on how to start learning a language quickly and efficiently. You can find the whole guide here.

If you learn just 200 well-chosen words in your target language, then you can talk about most everyday things. (By “words”, I really mean lemmas, i.e. I’m counting “run” and “runs” as one word.) When trying to talk about a topic, there will probably be a few key words that you don’t know, but you can ask for or look up those words and then use them for the rest of the time that you’re talking about the topic. You can see an example of how using the 200 words works.

* Note 1: Being able to speak doesn’t mean that you’ll immediately be able to listen to and understand the language. See note #2 on the guide. However, you can have conversations if the other person slows down and speaks simply, and you can also practice writing.

Here’s the list of 200. I hope it’s a useful guideline and starting point for you. I may revise it, so please refer to the original post for the most up-to-date version. In addition to these general words, there will probably be some others that will be among the most useful for you (e.g. “class” if you’re a student). When you find yourself using them again and again, learn them too.

* Note 2: You should really think of this as a list of concepts. Your goal isn’t to translate each word to a word in your target language, but to figure out how to express that concept in your target language. In some cases, a concept may translate to multiple words (for example, I listed “you” as a concept, but in some languages there are different words for “formal you” and “informal you”). Some concepts may translate to no word at all, but rather a certain grammatical structure (for example, Russian doesn’t use the verb “have”; to say “I have a cat” in Russian, you say “at me there is a cat”).

Use a dictionary to find out how to express these concepts in your target language (for some subtleties, you may need to google or ask in a forum). You can then use Anki to memorize the words. Learn to be able to go from the concept to the word in your target language, not the other way around; you want to be able to produce the word, not just recognize it. You should also learn how to pronounce your target language. To hear native speakers pronounce words in your target language, check out Forvo.

—

Verbs

To start, I suggest memorizing the infinitive form of these verbs and their present and past tense “I” conjugations.

be

there is

have

do

create (aka “make”)

cause (aka “make”)

go

say

speak

know

Read More

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The next english-only speaker that questions why ρ is pronounced r and not p will be the next person to suffer

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(x)

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French: …Sixty-seven, sixty-eight, sixty-nine, sixty-ten… Other languages: **stares** French: **stares back** French: …sixty-eleven, sixty-twelve, sixty-thirteen…

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A sweary blog about swearing

GUYS IT IS A LINGUISTICS BLOG ABOUT SWEARS 

i’m in love

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SLAVIC TIME: TREE

Belarusian: дрэва (dreva)

Bosnian: drvo

Bulgarian: дърво (dŭrvo)

Croatian: drvo

Macedonian: дрво (drvo)

Polish: drzewo

Russian: дерево (derevo)

Serbian: дрво (drvo)

Slovenian: drevo

Ukrainian: дерево (derevo)

Czech & Slovak: Um well...

Czech: Strom?

Slovak: Strom.

Rest of the family: ????????

Polish: *SHEDS A TEAR, MY BLOOD*