Present Subjunctive: Formation

The Present Subjunctive is used to express desires, doubts, wishes, and other non-factual situations. Forming it is surprisingly systematic.

The Main Rule: Yo, Drop, Swap

For most verbs, you can follow a simple three-step process:

1. Yo: Start with the yo form of the verb in the present indicative tense.

   • hablar -> hablo
   • comer -> como
   • tener -> tengo

2. Drop: Drop the final -o.

   • habl-
   • com-
   • teng-

3. Swap: Add the 'opposite' ending.

   • For -AR verbs, use -ER/-IR endings: -e, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en.
   • For -ER and -IR verbs, use -AR endings: -a, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an.

Examples:

• hablar (hablo -> habl-) -> hable, hables, hable, hablemos, habléis, hablen
• comer (como -> com-) -> coma, comas, coma, comamos, comáis, coman
• vivir (vivo -> viv-) -> viva, vivas, viva, vivamos, viváis, vivan

This pattern even works for verbs with irregular yo forms, like tener (tengo -> teng- -> tenga) or hacer (hago -> hag- -> haga).

A Note on Irregulars

While the 'Yo, Drop, Swap' rule is your most powerful tool, be aware that a handful of common verbs are truly irregular and don't follow this pattern. You might encounter forms like sea (from ser), vaya (from ir), or sepa (from saber) in your reading. For now, just focus on mastering the main rule!