Subjunctive vs Indicative in Spanish: Rules, Examples and Common Mistakes

Spanish uses the indicative to present information as fact: something you know, believe or report. It uses the subjunctive for what is wished, doubted, felt, required, still unknown or not yet real. At B2, the challenge is less about forms and more about choosing the right mood after a given trigger, and seeing when one word, such as cuando, aunque or creo, can take either mood.

The core idea: asserting vs not asserting

Ask yourself one question: is the speaker stating this as real information?

• If yes, use the indicative: Sé que Marta vive en Sevilla. I know Marta lives in Seville.
• If no (it is a wish, a doubt, a reaction, a possibility or something in the future that has not happened), use the subjunctive: Quiero que Marta viva en Sevilla. I want Marta to live in Seville.

The subjunctive almost always appears in a subordinate clause, usually after que or a conjunction. The trigger is in the main clause or in the conjunction itself.

Form recap

You need the present and imperfect subjunctive. If the forms are not yet automatic, review our Present Subjunctive guide and our Imperfect Subjunctive guide.

Verb	Present indicative	Present subjunctive	Imperfect subjunctive
hablar (yo)	hablo	hable	hablara / hablase
comer (tú)	comes	comas	comieras / comieses
vivir (él)	vive	viva	viviera / viviese
tener (nosotros)	tenemos	tengamos	tuviéramos / tuviésemos
ser (ellos)	son	sean	fueran / fuesen

Uses: when each mood is required

1. Wishes, requests and influence → subjunctive

Verbs such as querer, esperar, pedir, necesitar, preferir, recomendar, prohibir and permitir take the subjunctive when the subjects are different.

• Espero que lleguéis a tiempo. I hope you arrive on time.
• Te pido que no digas nada. I’m asking you not to say anything.

With the same subject, use the infinitive: Quiero ir. I want to go. (not Quiero que yo vaya).

Ojalá always takes the subjunctive: Ojalá haga sol mañana. I hope it’s sunny tomorrow.

2. Emotions and value judgements → subjunctive

After me alegra, me molesta, siento, me sorprende, es una pena, es normal, es importante and similar expressions:

• Me molesta que hables tan alto. It bothers me that you talk so loudly.
• Es una pena que no puedas venir. It’s a shame you can’t come.

Notice that the second example is true information, yet it takes the subjunctive. The focus is on the reaction, not on informing.

3. Certainty vs doubt and denial

This is the contrast learners test most often.

Indicative (certainty, belief)	Subjunctive (doubt, denial)
creo que, pienso que	no creo que, no pienso que
estoy seguro de que	no estoy seguro de que
es verdad / cierto / evidente que	no es verdad / cierto que
está claro que	no está claro que
no dudo que	dudo que
me parece que	no me parece que

• Creo que tienes razón. I think you’re right.
• No creo que tengas razón. I don’t think you’re right.
• Dudo que el tren salga puntual. I doubt the train will leave on time.

Possibility and probability expressions take the subjunctive: Es posible que llueva. It may rain.

4. Time clauses: cuando, hasta que, en cuanto, mientras, después de que

The mood depends on whether the action is real (habitual or past) or still in the future.

• Cuando llego a casa, me ducho. When I get home, I shower. (habit → indicative)
• Cuando llegué, ya se habían ido. When I arrived, they had already left. (past → indicative)
• Cuando llegues, llámame. When you arrive, call me. (future → subjunctive)

Spanish never uses the future tense after cuando in these clauses: cuando llegues, not cuando llegarás.

Antes de que always takes the subjunctive, because the action has not happened yet at that point: Sal antes de que empiece a llover. Leave before it starts raining.

5. Relative clauses: known vs unknown antecedent

If the person or thing exists and is identified, use the indicative. If it is hypothetical, unknown or nonexistent, use the subjunctive.

• Tengo un compañero que habla japonés. I have a colleague who speaks Japanese.
• Busco un compañero que hable japonés. I’m looking for a colleague who speaks Japanese. (any one, not identified)
• No hay nadie que sepa la respuesta. There’s nobody who knows the answer.
• Haz lo que quieras. Do whatever you like.

For more on que, quien and lo que, see our Relative Pronouns guide.

6. Aunque: fact vs hypothesis

• Aunque llueve, vamos a salir. Although it’s raining, we’re going out. (it is raining: a fact)
• Aunque llueva, vamos a salir. Even if it rains, we’re going out. (it may rain, or it doesn’t matter)

The subjunctive can also be used with a known fact when the speaker treats it as irrelevant: Aunque sea tu jefe, no tiene derecho a gritarte. Even if he is your boss, he has no right to shout at you.

7. Purpose vs cause

• para que, a fin de que → always subjunctive: Te lo explico para que lo entiendas. I’m explaining it so that you understand it.
• porque, ya que, puesto que → indicative (giving a real reason): Me voy porque es tarde. I’m leaving because it’s late.

Other conjunctions that always take the subjunctive: sin que, a menos que, con tal de que, en caso de que.

8. Quizás, tal vez, probablemente

These allow both moods. The subjunctive suggests more doubt; the indicative more confidence.

• Quizás viene mañana. Maybe he’s coming tomorrow. (fairly likely)
• Quizás venga mañana. Maybe he’ll come tomorrow. (less sure)

A lo mejor takes the indicative: A lo mejor viene.

Verbs that change meaning with the mood

Some verbs take either mood with a change in meaning.

Verb	+ Indicative	+ Subjunctive
decir	report information	give an instruction
sentir	sense, perceive	be sorry, regret
insistir	insist that something is true	insist that someone does something

• Dice que viene. He says he’s coming.
• Dice que vengas. He says you should come.
• Siento que alguien me mira. I feel someone is watching me.
• Siento que no puedas venir. I’m sorry you can’t come.

Sequence of tenses

The tense of the main verb decides which subjunctive tense you need.

Main clause	Subordinate clause	Example
Present, future, imperative	Present subjunctive	Quiero que vengas. I want you to come.
Past (preterite, imperfect)	Imperfect subjunctive	Quería que vinieras. I wanted you to come.
Conditional	Imperfect subjunctive	Me gustaría que vinieras. I’d like you to come.

The same logic applies in hypothetical si sentences (Si tuviera tiempo, iría). These are covered fully in our Conditional Sentences guide.

Signal words at a glance

Always indicative	Always subjunctive	Depends on meaning
creo que, sé que, es verdad que	ojalá, quiero que, espero que	cuando, mientras, hasta que
está claro que, es evidente que	dudo que, no creo que	aunque
porque, ya que, puesto que	para que, sin que, antes de que	quizás, tal vez
a lo mejor	a menos que, en caso de que	decir, sentir
	es posible / importante / una pena que	relative clauses (que)

Common mistakes

• ✗ Creo que sea una buena idea. → ✓ Creo que es una buena idea. Affirmative creer states a belief, so it takes the indicative.
• ✗ No creo que es verdad. → ✓ No creo que sea verdad. Negated belief expresses doubt.
• ✗ Cuando llegarás, llámame. → ✓ Cuando llegues, llámame. Future time clauses use the present subjunctive, never the future.
• ✗ Quiero que yo vaya al concierto. → ✓ Quiero ir al concierto. Same subject means infinitive.
• ✗ Espero que vienes pronto. → ✓ Espero que vengas pronto. Esperar que expresses a wish.
• ✗ Me pidió que lo ayude. → ✓ Me pidió que lo ayudara. A past main verb normally requires the imperfect subjunctive.
• ✗ Necesito a alguien que sabe programar. → ✓ Necesito a alguien que sepa programar. The person is not identified.
• ✗ Antes de que llegas, limpio la casa. → ✓ Antes de que llegues, limpio la casa. Antes de que always takes the subjunctive.
• ✗ Es evidente que tenga problemas. → ✓ Es evidente que tiene problemas. Expressions of certainty take the indicative.

Quick check

Choose the correct form of the verb in brackets.

1. No pienso que ese restaurante ___ (ser) caro.
2. Cuando ___ (terminar, yo) la carrera, viajaré por Asia.
3. Está claro que ellos ___ (saber) la respuesta.
4. La empresa busca un empleado que ___ (hablar) chino.
5. Mi madre me dijo que ___ (llevar, yo) un paraguas. (She told me to take one.)

Answers

1. sea (negated belief → subjunctive)
2. termine (future time clause → subjunctive)
3. saben (certainty → indicative)
4. hable (unidentified person → subjunctive)
5. llevara or llevase (instruction after a past verb → imperfect subjunctive)

Next step

Put the contrast into practice with our B2 Subjunctive vs Indicative test, which mixes all the triggers covered here. Note which triggers you get wrong and reread those sections. When certainty vs doubt and the cuando and aunque contrasts feel automatic, move on to our Advanced Subjunctive guide, which covers concessive, temporal and relative clauses in more depth.