motivar Present Subjunctive Conjugation
motivar — to motivate
The present subjunctive of motivar (motive, motives, motivemos, motiven, motivéis) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty.
motivar Present Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Present Subjunctive
Use this tense when expressing wishes ('Espero que me motives'), doubts ('Dudo que me motiven'), emotions ('Me alegra que te motives'), or impersonal expressions ('Es importante que motivemos'). It's all about subjectivity!
Notes on motivar in the Present Subjunctive
Motivar is regular in the present subjunctive. The forms are derived from the 'yo' form of the present indicative ('motivo') by changing the '-o' ending to the opposite vowel endings (-e for -ar verbs).
Example Sentences
Espero que tú me motives a seguir estudiando.
I hope you motivate me to keep studying.
tú
El entrenador quiere que todos los jugadores se motiven.
The coach wants all the players to get motivated.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Dudo que él motive al equipo en este momento.
I doubt he motivates the team right now.
él/ella/usted
Es bueno que nos motivemos mutuamente.
It's good that we motivate each other.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the present indicative instead of the present subjunctive.
Correct: After 'Espero que...', use 'motives', not 'motivas'.
Why: Expressions of hope, desire, and doubt trigger the subjunctive mood.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'vosotros' form.
Correct: The correct form is 'motivéis'.
Why: The accent on the 'i' is required for pronunciation and spelling.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'motivar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: motivo
The present indicative of motivar (motivo, motivas, motiva, motivamos, motiváis, motivan) describes current actions, habits, or general truths.
Preterite
yo: motivé
The preterite of motivar is regular: motivé, motivaste, motivó, motivamos, motivasteis, motivaron.
Imperfect
yo: motivaba
The imperfect of motivar (motivaba, motivabas, motivaba, motivábamos, motivabais, motivaban) describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Future
yo: motivaré
The future tense of motivar (motivaré, motivarás, motivará, motivaremos, motivaréis, motivarán) expresses actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: motivaría
The conditional of motivar (motivaría, motivarías, motivaría, motivaríamos, motivaríais, motivarían) is used for hypotheticals ('would'), polite requests, and future-in-the-past.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: motivara
The imperfect subjunctive of motivar (e.g., motivara, motivaras) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or suggestions.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: motiva
Commands in the imperative for motivar: motiva (tú), motive (usted), motivemos (nosotros), motiven (ustedes), motivad (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no motives
Negative commands for motivar use the present subjunctive: no motives (tú), no motive (usted), no motivemos (nosotros), no motiven (ustedes), no motivéis (vosotros).