This cheat sheet covers the Spanish subjunctive triggers often remembered with WEIRDO: wishes, emotions, impersonal expressions, recommendations, doubt, denial, and ojalá. Students need it because the subjunctive is used often in real Spanish but does not always match English grammar. The sheet helps students recognize when a sentence needs the subjunctive and how to build the sentence correctly.
Key Facts
- The basic subjunctive pattern is trigger phrase + que + subject change + subjunctive verb, as in Quiero que tú estudies.
- Use the subjunctive after wishes and wants such as querer que, esperar que, preferir que, and necesitar que.
- Use the subjunctive after emotions such as me alegra que, siento que, temo que, and me sorprende que.
- Use the subjunctive after impersonal expressions that show opinion, judgment, or uncertainty, such as es importante que, es necesario que, and es posible que.
- Use the subjunctive after recommendations, requests, and commands such as recomiendo que, sugiero que, pido que, and digo que when digo que means to tell someone to do something.
- Use the subjunctive after doubt or denial, such as dudo que, no creo que, no pienso que, niego que, and no es cierto que.
- Use the subjunctive after ojalá and ojalá que to express hope, as in Ojalá que llueva mañana.
- If there is no subject change, Spanish often uses an infinitive instead of que + subjunctive, as in Quiero estudiar instead of Quiero que yo estudie.
Vocabulary
- Subjunctive
- A Spanish verb mood used to express wishes, emotions, doubt, uncertainty, recommendations, and non-factual ideas.
- Trigger
- A word or phrase that signals that the verb in the dependent clause should be in the subjunctive.
- WEIRDO
- A memory tool for subjunctive triggers: wishes, emotions, impersonal expressions, recommendations, doubt or denial, and ojalá.
- Que clause
- A dependent clause that begins with que and often contains a new subject and a subjunctive verb.
- Subject change
- A change from one person or thing in the main clause to a different person or thing in the que clause.
- Ojalá
- A Spanish expression meaning hopefully or I hope that, usually followed by the subjunctive.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using the indicative after a clear WEIRDO trigger is wrong because phrases like quiero que and dudo que usually require the subjunctive in the que clause.
- Forgetting the subject change is wrong because quiero que yo estudio is not the usual structure when the same person wants to do the action. Use quiero estudiar instead.
- Leaving out que after a trigger is wrong because many subjunctive sentences need que to connect the trigger phrase to the dependent clause.
- Using the subjunctive after every que is wrong because que alone does not cause the subjunctive. A trigger such as doubt, emotion, or recommendation must create the need for it.
- Confusing positive belief with doubt is wrong because creo que and pienso que usually take the indicative, while no creo que and no pienso que usually take the subjunctive.
Practice Questions
- 1 Choose the correct verb: Quiero que tú (vienes / vengas) a la reunión.
- 2 Complete with the correct subjunctive form of estudiar: Es importante que nosotros ______ para el examen.
- 3 Rewrite using the subjunctive: Mi madre recomienda. Yo debo dormir ocho horas.
- 4 Explain why No creo que ella tenga razón uses the subjunctive, but Creo que ella tiene razón usually uses the indicative.