{"id":144732,"date":"2023-06-07T12:25:48","date_gmt":"2023-06-07T16:25:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/spanish-subjunctive-practice\/"},"modified":"2025-06-17T06:23:43","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T10:23:43","slug":"spanish-subjunctive-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/spanish-subjunctive-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"25+ Spanish Subjunctive Practice Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

The subjunctive feels like a game with rules you can’t quite grasp.\u00a0This is because, unlike most of the things you’ve learned about Spanish, it doesn’t really seem to have an English equivalent.<\/p>\n

Even if you memorize how to conjugate the subjunctive<\/a>, knowing exactly when and how to use those conjugations can feel complicated.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Below we’ll explore all the tenses in the subjunctive mood, including their conjugations, rules, usages and more. Plus, solidify your new knowledge to memory with subjunctive practice quizzes containing over 25 questions.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Spanish Present Subjunctive<\/h2>\n

Example: <\/strong>I hope that we win the war<\/p>\n

One of the most important distinctions between the present subjunctive and present indicative<\/strong> (a non-subjunctive conjugation) is the use of the word que<\/em><\/strong> (that, which).<\/p>\n

Using que<\/em> in a sentence implies a change of subject from the first to the second clause, which is most often where our uncertainty comes from.<\/p>\n

For example, a soldier in battle may say:<\/p>\n

Espero ganar la guerra.<\/em><\/strong>
\n<\/em><\/strong>(I hope to win the war).<\/p>\n

In this case, there is no uncertainty with no change of subject.<\/strong> There is no uncertainty that this is what the soldier wants\u2014therefore, “I hope” is left as indicative.<\/p>\n

But what if the soldier wants to express hope for the rest of the army? When the speaker introduces que,<\/em> uncertainty is brought into the sentence.<\/p>\n

While the desire is true, the individual soldier has no control over whether or not the army can win, and the verb is therefore put into the subjunctive:<\/p>\n

Espero\u00a0que<\/strong> ganemos la guerra.<\/em>
\n<\/em>(I hope that we win the war.)<\/p>\n

Heads up: I’m sticking with the battle example for the rest of this post so you can clearly see the differences!<\/p>\n

Present Subjunctive Practice Exercise<\/h3>\n

Translate the following sentences and decide whether to use the present subjunctive. The correct answers are listed below.<\/p>\n

1. I don’t doubt that he will have fun.<\/p>\n

2. I hope that she visits me this weekend.<\/p>\n

3. I don’t know that they will want to come to my party.<\/p>\n

4. It’s impossible to eat this much food.<\/p>\n

5. I doubt that we have enough time.<\/p>\n

Answer Key<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. No dudo que se divertir\u00e1<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Indicative:<\/strong> The speaker expresses certainty about the outcome.<\/p>\n

2. Espero que ella me visite<\/strong> este fin de semana.<\/em><\/p>\n

Subjunctive:<\/strong> Uncertainty exists about whether she will visit or not.<\/p>\n

3. No s\u00e9 que quieran<\/strong> venir a mi fiesta.<\/em><\/p>\n

Subjunctive:<\/strong> Uncertainty exists about whether or not they will want to come.<\/p>\n

4. No es<\/strong> posible comer tanta comida.<\/em><\/p>\n

Indicative:<\/strong> We know for certain it’s not possible.<\/p>\n

5. Dudo que tengamos<\/strong> tiempo suficiente.<\/em><\/p>\n

Subjunctive:<\/strong> There is doubt as to whether or not there is enough time.<\/p>\n

Spanish Present Perfect Subjunctive<\/h2>\n

Example: <\/strong>I hope that we have won the war<\/p>\n

The present perfect subjunctive indicates something that would have occurred in the recent past.<\/strong> This involves doubting whether or not something actually occurred.<\/p>\n

The auxiliary verb haber<\/em><\/strong> (to have done) will always be the verb in the subjunctive form. Just like it’s in the indicative when used in the present perfect tense<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This tense is used when an event has already occurred, but you are unaware of its results.<\/p>\n

For example, you may be discussing your roommate’s lack of cleanliness. In the present perfect subjunctive, you would say:<\/p>\n

Dudo que haya limpiado la casa.<\/strong><\/em>
\n<\/strong><\/em>(I doubt that he has cleaned the house.)<\/p>\n

You don’t know the results for sure, but you have assumed what has or hasn’t already occurred in the past.<\/p>\n

Let’s think about war again:<\/p>\n

Espero que hayamos ganado la guerra.<\/strong><\/em>
\n<\/em>(I hope that we have won the war.)<\/p>\n

This suggests that the war is recently over, but the speaker does not yet know how it ended.<\/p>\n

Present Perfect Subjunctive Practice Exercise<\/h3>\n

Translate the following sentences and decide whether to use the present perfect subjunctive. The correct answers are below.<\/p>\n

1. It’s doubtful that you have finished all of your homework.<\/p>\n

2. I hope to have a good time this weekend.<\/p>\n

3. I have not been to the dentist in a while.<\/p>\n

4. It’s good that they have gotten married.<\/p>\n

5. It’s unlikely that they have visited Mexico.<\/p>\n

Answer Key<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Es dudoso que hayas<\/strong> terminado toda tu\u00a0tarea.<\/em><\/p>\n

Subjunctive:<\/strong> There is doubt about whether or not the homework has been finished.<\/p>\n

2. Espero\u00a0pasarlo<\/strong> bien\u00a0este fin de semana.<\/em><\/p>\n

Indicative:<\/strong> The desire is true and in the present tense; there is no uncertainty.<\/p>\n

3. No he ido<\/strong> al dentista en mucho tiempo.<\/em><\/p>\n

Indicative:<\/strong> There isn’t any doubt; it’s just a statement of fact.<\/p>\n

4. Es bueno que se hayan<\/strong> casado.<\/em><\/p>\n

Subjunctive:<\/strong> The statement expresses subjectivity about what others have done.<\/p>\n

5. Es poco probable que hayan<\/strong> visitado a Mexico.<\/em><\/p>\n

Subjunctive:<\/strong> There is uncertainty about whether they have been to Mexico or not.<\/p>\n

Spanish Imperfect Subjunctive<\/h2>\n

Example: <\/strong>I hoped that we might win the war<\/p>\n

With the imperfect subjunctive, we deal with something completely new: Both the doubt and the event it references have already happened.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It indicates that uncertainty was experienced in the past. And whether or not we now know the outcome doesn’t even matter.<\/p>\n

For example, this phrase expresses a time in the past when there was uncertainty, as the speaker did not know whether or not they would end up married:<\/p>\n

Cuando nos conocimos, ya esperaba que nos cas\u00e1ramos.<\/strong><\/em>
\n<\/em><\/strong>(When we first met, I already hoped we’d get married.)<\/p>\n

Because the hope was expressed in the past tense, whether or not they actually got married is irrelevant.<\/p>\n

Going back to our war scenario, here’s the imperfect subjunctive in action:<\/p>\n

Esperaba que gan\u00e1ramos la guerra.<\/strong><\/em>
\n<\/em>(I hoped that we might win the war.)<\/p>\n

This would suggest that the war is either over or it’s not looking too great for the heroes.<\/p>\n

The wishing for a victory was done in the past, which means we probably know the war’s outcome by now. This tense is often accompanied with an explanation for why our hope is now past.<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

Antes de que atacaron el campamento, esperaba que gan\u00e1ramos la guerra.<\/strong><\/em>
\n<\/em>(Before they attacked our camp, I hoped we might win the war.)<\/p>\n

This phrase explains why even though our speaker is no longer hopeful, they were at one time in the past.<\/p>\n

Imperfect Subjunctive Practice Exercise<\/h3>\n

Translate the following sentences and decide whether to use the imperfect subjunctive. The correct answers are below.<\/p>\n

1. I hoped that she would live with me.<\/p>\n

2. It was unlikely that you would win the competition.<\/p>\n

3. I wanted to be an astronaut when I was young.<\/p>\n

4. I didn’t believe that she would write her own novel.<\/p>\n

5. I didn’t doubt that she could cook a perfect dinner.<\/p>\n

Answer Key<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Esperaba que ella viviera<\/strong> conmigo.<\/em><\/p>\n

Subjunctive:<\/strong> There was once doubt regarding whether or not she would move in.<\/p>\n

2. Era improbable que ganaras<\/strong> la competici\u00f3n.<\/em><\/p>\n

Subjunctive:<\/strong> There was uncertainty in the past about whether or not you would win.<\/p>\n

3. Quer\u00eda ser<\/strong> astronauta cuando era joven.<\/em><\/p>\n

Indicative:<\/strong> There is no uncertainty about the speaker’s desire to be an astronaut.<\/p>\n

4. No cre\u00eda que escribiera<\/strong> su propia novela.<\/em><\/p>\n

Subjunctive:<\/strong> There was doubt in the past about her ability to write a novel.<\/p>\n

5. No dud\u00e9 que podr\u00eda<\/strong> cocinar una cena perfecta.<\/em><\/p>\n

Indicative:<\/strong> There is no uncertainty expressed.<\/p>\n

Spanish Pluperfect Subjunctive<\/h2>\n

Example: <\/strong>I hoped that we would have won the war<\/p>\n

The pluperfect subjunctive is used when you know the outcome but wish things would have been different.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We use the auxiliary haber<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(to have done) again, but this time conjugated in the imperfect subjunctive tense.<\/p>\n

For example, you might discuss your latest job interview by saying:<\/p>\n

Ojal\u00e1 que hubiera conseguido ese trabajo.<\/strong><\/em>
\n<\/em><\/strong>(I wish I would have gotten that job.)<\/p>\n

There was uncertainty in the past about whether or not you would get the job, and though you now know for sure that you did not, you still wish things could have been different.<\/p>\n

And what about war? In our scenario, here’s the pluperfect subjunctive:<\/p>\n

Esperaba que hubi\u00e9ramos ganado la guerra.<\/strong><\/em>
\n<\/em>(I hoped that we would have won the war.)<\/p>\n

Using the subjunctive conjugation of haber<\/em> is also similar to saying “we might have” in English. This is also why the tense is commonly seen in conditional phrases beginning with “If…” (“If<\/strong>\u00a0<\/i>this had\/hadn’t happened, we\u00a0might have<\/strong>\u00a0___.)<\/p>\n

Pluperfect Subjunctive Practice<\/h3>\n

Translate the following sentences and decide whether to use the pluperfect subjunctive. The correct answers are below.<\/p>\n

1. It’s true that I lived in France for a year.<\/p>\n

2. I thought that I might have learned to play piano.<\/p>\n

3. I have been studying Spanish since I was born.<\/p>\n

4. If I hadn’t met you, it’s unlikely that I would have moved to the city.<\/p>\n

5. I wish we would have eaten less before dinner.<\/p>\n

Answer Key<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Es cierto que viv\u00ed<\/strong> en Franc\u00eda por un a\u00f1o.<\/em><\/p>\n

Indicative:<\/strong> There is no uncertainty about what occurred in the past.<\/p>\n

2. Pens\u00e9<\/em>\u00a0que hubiera<\/strong> aprendido tocar el piano.<\/em><\/p>\n

Subjunctive:<\/strong> There was once doubt about whether or not I would learn piano. Now we know I did not.<\/p>\n

3. He<\/strong> estado<\/strong> estudiando espa\u00f1ol desde que nac\u00ed.<\/em><\/p>\n

Indicative:<\/strong> There is no doubt about what occurred in the past.<\/p>\n

4. Si no nos hubi\u00e9ramos<\/strong>\u00a0conocido, es improbable que yo me hubiera mudado a la ciudad.<\/em><\/p>\n

Subjunctive:<\/strong> There was uncertainty in the past about whether or not I would move to the city.<\/p>\n

5. Ojal\u00e1 que<\/em>\u00a0hubi\u00e9ramos<\/strong> comido menos antes de la cena.<\/em><\/p>\n

Subjunctive:<\/strong> There was uncertainty in the past about how much would be eaten.<\/p>\n

Spanish Future Subjunctive<\/h2>\n

Unlike the subjunctive, the Spanish future tense states with utmost certainty that something will occur.<\/p>\n

But of course, some things go wrong and change even when you think you’re 100% certain about an outcome.<\/p>\n

Just because you use the future tense doesn’t mean you have any more control over a situation than usual: It simply means you feel confident in predicting the outcome.<\/p>\n

For example, our speaker may say:<\/p>\n

Ganaremos la guerra.<\/strong><\/em>
\n<\/em><\/strong>(We will win the war.)<\/p>\n

This is because they have just stolen all of their enemy’s weapons. While their use of the future tense doesn’t rule out a sudden ambush from occurring, they can still feel confident in its use: Things are looking pretty good for them right now.<\/p>\n

It’s also essential to note that the Spanish future subjunctive is almost entirely obsolete,<\/strong> as Spanish speakers normally use the present subjunctive instead.<\/p>\n

You’ll really only come across this tense in old literary texts.<\/p>\n

Final Spanish Subjunctive Practice<\/h2>\n

Translate the following sentences.<\/p>\n

Decide whether or not the phrase is in the present or future indicative, or any of the subjunctive tenses.<\/p>\n

The correct answers are below.<\/p>\n

1. I hope to write my own novel someday.<\/p>\n

2. I hoped we would have arrived earlier.<\/p>\n

3. I will feel better after sleeping.<\/p>\n

4. I didn’t think you would know the answer.<\/p>\n

5. I doubt he will be helpful.<\/p>\n

6. It’s possible that they have already left.<\/p>\n

Answer Key<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Espero escribir<\/strong> mi propia novela alg\u00fan d\u00eda.<\/em>\u00a0(present indicative)<\/strong><\/p>\n

2. Esperaba que hubi\u00e9ramos<\/strong> llegado antes.<\/em>\u00a0(pluperfect subjunctive)<\/strong><\/p>\n

3. Me sentir\u00e9<\/strong> mejor despu\u00e9s de dormir.<\/em>\u00a0(future indicative)<\/strong><\/p>\n

4. No cre\u00ed que supieras<\/strong> la respuesta.<\/em>\u00a0(imperfect subjunctive)<\/strong><\/p>\n

5. Dudo que sea<\/strong> \u00fatil.<\/em>\u00a0(present subjunctive)<\/strong><\/p>\n

6. Es posible que ya hayan<\/strong> salido.<\/em>\u00a0(present perfect subjunctive)<\/strong><\/p>\n

How to Practice the Spanish Subjunctive<\/h2>\n

Mastering the subjunctive is a complicated process and may take a while. Even native speakers can’t quite explain when and why they use it!<\/p>\n

Try your best, and know that every person you speak with\u2014from a Spanish beginner to native speaker\u2014understands just how complicated it can be.<\/p>\n

One of the best ways to continue your subjunctive practice is through watching Spanish movies and TV<\/a>, or finding any way to listen to native speakers have a conversation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you notice a subjunctive conjugation used, take a moment to consider how it’s being used, and why the subjunctive was chosen over the indicative in that situation.<\/p>\n

Watching subtitled movies and TV<\/strong> is even better for this.<\/p>\n

For example, FluentU<\/a>\u2019s Spanish videos have expertly written, interactive subtitles and transcripts.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

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