The Spanish indicative mood is used to talk about facts and realities, while the subjunctive is used to talk about ideas and unreal situations.

indicative vs subjunctive conjugation spanish
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Indicative vs Subjunctive

I like to explain the indicative vs subjunctive in the following way…

Use the Spanish indicative mood to declare an action. To talk about an action you don’t want to declare, use the subjunctive mood.

Let me explain.

To understand the difference between the Spanish indicative and subjunctive, you need to have a clear idea of the meaning of the word declare.

Think of a trial.

In trials, people promise to say the truth or what they think the truth is.

They declare the truth, a reality.

They confirm an action.

Indicative (Declare)

With this in mind, use the indicative to express what you know or think of a reality.

You can declare information directly through a single sentence, or after a clause.

Let’s look at some examples.

SINGLE SENTENCE
IT’S A REALITY

● María estudia español.

María studies Spanish. It’s a reality. That’s why the Spanish indicative is used. 

AFTER A CLAUSE
IT’S A REALITY

● Está claro que María estudia español.
● It’s clear that…

● Yo creo que María estudia español.
● I think that…

● Ella piensa que María estudia español.
● She thinks that…

● Supongo que María estudia español.
● I suppose that…

Remember, the indicative mood is used to express what you know or think of a reality.

Analyze the sentences above.

Do they express what the person knows or thinks of a reality?

Do they declare that María studies Spanish?

Yes, 100%.

Subjunctive (Don’t Declare)

Use the Spanish subjunctive (or an infinitive verb) when you don’t want to declare an action.

Translation?

If what you want to express is not a reality, but a virtual idea, an unreal situation, use the subjunctive.

A virtual idea is not a fact. It’s not a reality.

It appears to be a fact, but it is not, so you cannot declare it.

Subjunctive verbs always depend on a clause.

Let’s look at some examples.

AFTER A CLAUSE
IS IT A FACT THAT MARÍA STUDIES SPANISH?

● Quiero que María estudie español.
● I want that…

● No creo que María estudie español.
● I don’t think that…

● Es posible que María estudie español.
● It’s possible that…

● Espero que María estudie español.
● I hope that…

● Prefieren que María estudie español.
● They prefere that…

What do the sentences above express?

Is it a fact a María studies Spanish?

No.

The sentences above don’t express that María studies Spanish.

They express a virtual idea.

I want María to study Spanish because she does not study Spanish (not a reality), but it is my desire (a virtual idea) that she studies it sometime in the future.

Can it be declared that María studies Spanish based on the above sentences?

No, it cannot. That’s why the subjunctive mood is used.

Remember, use the subjunctive if what you want to express cannot be declared. It’s not a reality. It cannot be confirmed.

Let’s practice!

Indicative vs Subjunctive Practice

Since we have talked so much about declaring and not declaring things, let’s pretend we are police officers.

Answer the questions.

Click on + to see the answer.

A person is being interrogated because of a crime, and he says the following…

● Me llamo Roberto.
● My name is Roberto. 

Has he declared that his name is Roberto?

Yes, he has. The present indicative is used.

● Quiero que me comunique con mi abogado.
● I want you to contact my attorney. 

Has he declared that you have contacted his attorney?

No, he hasn’t. He wants you to contact his attorney. You haven’t done so (not a reality). That’s why the subjunctive is used.

● Supongo que el criminal está escondido. 
● I guess the criminal is in hiding.  

Has he declared that, in his opinion, the criminal is hiding?

Yes, he has. Though not sure, he thinks that it is a reality that the criminal is hiding. That’s why the indicative is used.

Remember, the indicative mood is used to express what you know or think of a reality.

● No creo que Marta sea la culpable.
● I don’t think Marta is to blame. 

Has he declared that Marta is to blame?

No, he hasn’t declared that. That’s why the subjunctive is used.

Indicative (declare), subjunctive (don’t declare).

● Quiero que usted me ayude.
● I want you to help me. 

Has he declared that you have helped him?

No, he hasn’t. He wants you to help him, but you have not done so. It’s not a reality. That’s why the subjunctive is used.

Subjunctive Uses

Use a verb in the subjunctive mood after any of the following clauses.

Desires and Objectives

Any sentence created with any of the clauses below expresses that what you are about to say is not a declaration. It’s only…

● an idea
● something that is desired
● something that is not desired
● something that has to happen
● something that does not have to happen

It’s not a reality. That’s why the subjunctive is used.

Alright, here are the introductory clauses…

● Quiero que estudies español.
● I want that…

● Deseo que estudies español.
● I wish that… 

● Espero que estudies español.
● I hope that… 

● Prefiero que estudies español.
● I prefer that… 

● Tengo ganas de que estudies español.
● I want that… 

● Te pido que estudies español.
● I ask you that… 

● Te he prohibido que estudies español.
● I have prohibited you to… 

● Te aconsejo que estudies español.
● I advise you to… 

● Es importante que estudies español.
● It’s important that… 

● Es necesario que estudies español.
● It is necessary that … 

● Para que estudies español…
● So that…

To Question Information

Use the subjunctive to question information. 

The following phrases don’t express a reality. They express an idea. 

● Puede ser que María estudie español.
● It may be that…

● Dudo que María estudie español.
● I doubt that…

● No creo que María estudie español.
● I don’t think that…

● Es mentira que María estudie español.
● It’s a lie that…

Give an Opinion

Always use the subjunctive to give an opinion about a reality. 

In the following sentences, I don’t declare that María studies Spanish. I give my opinion about the fact that she studies Spanish. 

● A mí no me gusta que Maria estudie español.
● I don’t like that…

● Me parece bien que Maria estudie español.
● It seems good to me that…

● Me da igual que Maria estudie español.
● I don’t care if…

● Me parece extraño que Maria estudie español.
● It seems weird that…

● Es maravilloso que Maria estudie español.
● It’s wonderful that…

● Es normal que Maria estudie español.
● It’s normal that…

Unidentifiable Things

Use the indicative mood to describe a person, thing, or place you identify.

Use the subjunctive to describe a person, thing, or place that is not identified.

INDICATIVE

● ¿Conoces a una rubia que vive en Santa Cruz?
● Do you know a blonde girl who lives in Santa Cruz?

SUBJUNCTIVE

● ¿Conoces a alguna rubia que viva en Santa Cruz?
● Do you know any blonde girls living in Santa Cruz?

Indicative Uses

Use the indicative to state facts. 

The following clauses introduce declarations. 

● Yo sé que María estudia español. 
● I know that…

● Está claro que María estudia español. 
● It’s clear that…

● Es verdad que María estudia español. 
● It’s true that…

● Yo creo que María estudia español. 
● I think that… 

● No hay duda de que María estudia español. 
● There is no doubt that… 

● Me han contado que María estudia español. 
● I have been told that… 

● Supongo que María estudia español. 
● I guess that…

● Me imagino que María estudia español. 
● I imagine that… 

● Pienso que María estudia español. 
● I think that…

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