The WEIRD Subjunctive in Spanish

The subjunctive mood in Spanish is a nuanced aspect of the language that expresses doubt, subjectivity, uncertainty, and hypothetical situations. It adds depth to communication by indicating feelings, emotions, desires, or possibilities. Understanding its formation, usage, and triggers is essential for achieving fluency and effective communication. Here's a concise explanation, with a trick, to help you navigate the world of subjunctive verbs in the present tense.

Formation and Elements of a Subjunctive Sentence

To form the subjunctive, begin with the first person present tense conjugation of a verb, like "hablo." Identify the stem by taking off the ending -o ("habl-") and apply the opposite endings: "-ar" verbs take "-e," "-es," "-e," "-emos," "-éis," and "-en," while "-er" and "-ir" verbs take "-a," "-as," "-a," "-amos," "-áis," and "-an." For example:

• Hablar (to speak): hable, hables, hable, hablemos, habléis, hablen
• Comer (to eat): coma, comas, coma, comamos, comáis, coman
• Vivir (to live): viva, vivas, viva, vivamos, viváis, vivan

Keep an eye out for spelling changes in -car/-gar/-zar verbs in order to maintain original sounds, and note that any irregularities in the stem will carry over to the subjunctive. For example:  

• Sacar (to take out): saque, saques, saque, saquemos, saquéis, saquen
• Cargar (to carry): cargue, cargues, cargue, carguemos, carguéis, carguen
• Alzar (to raise): alce, alces, alce, alcemos, alcéis, alcen

• Decir (to say): diga, digas, diga, digamos, digáis, digan
• Hacer (to do): haga, hagas, haga, hagamos, hagáis, hagan
• Venir (to put): venga, vengas, venga, vengamos, vengáis, vengan

The typical subjunctive structure involves a change in subject, the conjunction "que," and a conceptual trigger. For example: Quiero que vengas. (I want you to come, or literally "I want that you come"). Triggers are phrasal cues that signal the use of the subjunctive, and they vary based on the situation. The WEIRDO acronym encapsulates the common triggers for subjunctive usage:

• Wishes: Expressing desires or hopes for the future.
• Emotions: Conveying emotions, opinions, or reactions.
• Impersonal expressions: Describing general beliefs or opinions.
• Recommendations: Offering suggestions, advice, or recommendations.
• Doubt/Denial: Expressing doubt, uncertainty, or negation.
• Other Special Cases: Special word ojalá, certain conjunctions that express dependency, and indefinite antecedents.

Sentences with the WEIRDO Acronym

Trigger	Sentence in the Subjunctive	Explanation
Wishes	Espero que ella llegue a tiempo.  (I hope she arrives on time.)	Signal is "esperar" - to hope something happens.
Emotions	Me alegra que aprendas español. (I'm glad that you're learning Spanish.)	Signal is verb "alegrarse," expressing emotion.
Impersonal Expressions	Es importante que estudien para el examen. (It's important that they study for the exam.)	Signal is impersonal expression "es importante."
Recommen-dations	Te recomiendo que veas esa película. (I recommend that you watch that movie.)	Signal is verb "recomendar(le) algo a alguien," to recommend.
Doubt/Denial	No creo que él venga a la fiesta. (I don't think he's coming to the party.)	Signal is verb "creer" in the negative, denying a statement.
Other	Ojalá (que) llueva mañana. (I hope it rains tomorrow.)	Signal is "ojalá," from Arabic "may God will it."
	Antes de que llegues, ya habremos salido. (Before you arrive, we'll have already left.)	Signal is conjunction "antes (de) que" expressing dependency between clauses.
	Busco alguien/una persona* que hable portugués. (I'm looking for someone/a person who speaks/may speak Portuguese)	Signal is indefinite antecedent "alguien/una persona" - person may (not) exist.

*Note that in this case, the personal a is usually not used, since the person doesn't yet exist.

Growing Proficiency Through Practice

Mastering the intricacies of the subjunctive takes time and practice. Engaging with native content, conversing with others, and actively using the subjunctive in context will gradually make it a natural part of your language skills. In conclusion, understanding the Spanish subjunctive's formation, triggers, and usage is vital for effective communication. By grasping the formation process and applying it to various triggers like WEIRDO, you'll be well-equipped to express nuances and convey your thoughts more effectively.