The Use of the Indicative Mood and the Subjunctive Mood in Spanish

Learning to use verb moods in Spanish is a key step to expressing yourself correctly.

They may seem a bit complicated at first, but don’t worry! That’s why we created this article, to help you understand their differences and know when to use each one to communicate accurately.

Let’s get started!

What are verb moods?

Verb moods are forms that we use in Spanish to express different attitudes or intentions related to an action. There are three main moods:

• Indicative: Talks about real or concrete facts.
• Subjunctive: Expresses wishes, emotions, doubts, or hypothetical situations.
• Imperative: Gives orders or instructions (although we won’t focus on this mood in this article).

Now let’s look at some examples:

• Hoy es jueves. (Today is Thursday.) (indicative)
• Es posible que llueva mañana. (It’s possible that it will rain tomorrow.) (subjunctive)
• Ayer fui al supermercado con mi mamá. (Yesterday I went to the supermarket with my mom.) (indicative)
• Espero que puedas acompañarnos en la reunión. (I hope you can join us at the meeting.) (subjunctive)
• Cierra la puerta, por favor. (Close the door, please.) (imperative)

What is the indicative mood?

The indicative mood is the most used in Spanish. We use it to talk about situations that we consider certain. That is, actions that we know are happening, have happened, or are about to happen.

It is also the mood we use when describing our routine or narrating something that has happened to us.

Verb tenses in the indicative

The indicative includes several verb tenses that allow us to place actions in the past, present, or future. Some of the most common are:

Present: Expresses actions that are happening now.

• Example: "Yo estudio español." (I study Spanish.)

Simple past (pretérito perfecto simple): Expresses actions that occurred in the past and have already ended.

• Example: "Limpié mi cuarto ayer." (I cleaned my room yesterday.)

Simple future: Expresses actions that will happen in the future.

• Example: "Iré al gimnasio después del trabajo." (I will go to the gym after work.)

Simple conditional: Expresses hypothetical situations.

• Example: "Creo que a mi novia le gustaría ese libro." (I think my girlfriend would like that book.)

When is the indicative used?

To talk about real facts:

• "Hace calor hoy." (It’s hot today.)
• "Mis papás viven en Paraguay." (My parents live in Paraguay.)

To describe habits:

• "Me gusta leer antes de dormir." (I like to read before sleeping.)
• "Carlos se levanta temprano todos los días." (Carlos gets up early every day.)

To narrate past events:

• "Ayer cené cereal con fruta." (Yesterday I had cereal with fruit for dinner.)
• "El gato maulló toda la noche." (The cat meowed all night.)

To express certainties:

• "Sé que tienes razón." (I know you are right.)
• "Es claro que estás cansado hoy." (It’s clear that you are tired today.)

What is the subjunctive mood?

On the other hand, the subjunctive mood is used when we want to talk about something that is not a concrete fact, but rather a wish, a possibility, an emotion, or a hypothesis. This means it is more subjective and depends on the context or the speaker's attitude.

It is common to find it in subordinate clauses before the word "que."

Verb tenses in the subjunctive

Present subjunctive: Used to express wishes or possibilities in the present or future.

• Example: "Espero que te recuperes pronto." (I hope you recover soon.)

Imperfect subjunctive (pretérito imperfecto del subjuntivo): Used to talk about wishes or hypotheses in the past.

• Example: "Si tuviera tiempo, iría a jugar con mis amigos." (If I had time, I would go play with my friends.)

When is the subjunctive used?

To express wishes:

• "Esperamos que te vaya bien." (We hope that you do well.)
• "Espero que te guste tu regalo." (I hope you like your gift.)

To talk about doubts or uncertainties:

• "No creo que eso sea cierto." (I don’t think that is true.)
• "Dudo que Cristóbal llegue a tiempo." (I doubt that Cristóbal will arrive on time.)

To express emotions:

• "Me da gusto que estés aquí." (I’m glad you are here.)
• "Lamento que estuviera cerrado." (I regret that it was closed.)

For conditional or hypothetical situations:

• "Si yo tuviera ese puesto, ganaría el doble de dinero." (If I had that position, I would earn double the money.)
• "Si caminara hasta el centro, terminaría muy cansado." (If I walked all the way downtown, I would end up very tired.)

Words and phrases that indicate the use of the subjunctive

As you practice Spanish, you will notice that the subjunctive often appears with certain expressions that indicate wishes, emotions, uncertainties, or dependent situations. Here are some of those key expressions:

Wishes:

• "Quiero que..." (I want you to...)
• "Espero que..." (I hope that...)
• "Ojalá que..." (I wish that...)

Example: "Ojalá que pueda verte mañana." (I wish I could see you tomorrow.)

Emotions:

• "Me alegra que..." (I’m happy that...)
• "Siento que..." (I feel that...)
• "Me sorprende que..." (I’m surprised that...)

Example: "Me alegra que vinieras." (I’m glad you came.)

Doubts:

• "No creo que..." (I don’t think that...)
• "Es posible que..." (It’s possible that...)
• "Dudo que..." (I doubt that...)

Example: "Dudo que se pueda lograr para mañana." (I doubt that it can be achieved by tomorrow.)

Conditionals:

• "Si tuviera..." (If I had...)
• "Si pudiera..." (If I could...)
• "Si fuera..." (If I were...)

Example: "Si pudiera cocinar, abriría mi propio restaurante." (If I could cook, I would open my own restaurant.)

Conjunctions:

• "Aunque..." (Although...)
• "Cuando..." (When...)
• "Para que..." (So that...)

Example: "Aunque parezca difícil, en realidad no lo es." (Although it seems difficult, it really isn’t.)

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Indicative vs. subjunctive: What are the key differences?

The main difference between the indicative and the subjunctive is the attitude that the speaker has towards the action. While the indicative focuses on real and objective facts, the subjunctive is used to express subjectivity, such as wishes, emotions, or doubts.

Table of verb moods

Tips for mastering the indicative and subjunctive

Here are some tips to help you identify and use verb moods without any problems:

• Identify the context: Before choosing a verb mood, ask yourself if you are talking about something concrete and real (indicative) or if you are referring to something hypothetical (subjunctive).
• Practice with common sentences: Write some sentences using expressions like "quiero que" (I want you to) or "es cierto que" (it is true that).
• Use keyword lists: Familiarize yourself with the expressions we shared above that require the subjunctive, such as "es posible que" (it is possible that) or "dudo que" (I doubt that).
• Conjugate verbs daily: Spend a few minutes each day practicing conjugations in the indicative and subjunctive, and in different verb tenses.
• Listen to how native speakers express themselves in Spanish: Pay close attention to how native speakers use both moods in casual conversations, movies, podcasts, TV series, etc., or observe them while reading texts and take notes on everything you learn.

Summary

The indicative mood is useful for helping us speak objectively about concrete and real facts, while the subjunctive mood is used to subjectively express our wishes, doubts, or emotions.

Although it may seem complicated at first, you will see that as you become familiar with the keywords and practice daily through the Promova app, you will be able to use them with increasing naturalness.

Keep practicing and don’t be afraid to make mistakes! You can do this.