【英文版西语语法】Future subjunctive forms and uses

 Overview

 

The subjunctive is one of the three moods in Spanish, the other two being the indicative (actions, events, facts) and the imperative (commands). You can find more on the differences between the subjunctive and the indicative here!

 

The future subjunctive (el futuro del 

subjuntivo

 

) is rarely used in modern Spanish. It was traditionally used in complex sentences with WEIRDO verbs that described a hypothetical, future action. Nowadays, the present subjunctive is used in virtually all cases in which the future subjunctive would have been used, but the future subjunctive does still appear, primarily in legal documents and literary contexts, so it’s good to be able to recognize it.

 

What's WEIRDO again?

 

Many of the verbs and phrases that require the subjunctive fit into the acronym WEIRDO: Wishes, Emotions, Impersonal expressions, Recommendations, Doubt/Denial, and Ojalá.

Finding the Future Subjunctive Stem

 

The stem for the future subjunctive is the same as that of the imperfect subjunctive, or the third person plural of the preterite (without the -ron at the end).

 

Preterite Form Future Subjunctive Stem

hablaron

 

habla-

tuvieron

 

tuvie-

vieron

 

vie-

Future Subjunctive Stem Examples

 

infinitive 3rd person preterite future subjunctive stem

caber

 

cupieron cupie-

dar

 

dieron die-

decir

 

dijeron dije-

dormir

 

durmieron durmie-

estar

 

estuvieron estuvie-

haber

 

hubieron hubie-

hacer

 

hicieron hicie-

ir

 

fueron fue-

leer

 

leyeron leye-

tener

 

tuvieron tuvie-

pedir

 

pidieron pidie-

poder

 

pudieron pudie-

poner

 

pusieron pusie-

preferir

 

prefirieron prefirie-

querer

 

quisieron quisie-

saber

 

supieron supie-

sentir

 

sintieron sintie-

ser

 

fueron fue-

traducir

 

tradujeron traduje-

traer

 

trajeron traje-

Irregular Future Subjunctive

Any verb that is irregular in the third person plural of the preterite will maintain that irregularity in the future subjunctive. (Ex. 

tener

 

)

Future Subjunctive Endings

 

All conjugations for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs have the same future subjunctive endings:

 

Subject Ending

yo -re

tú -res

usted, él, ella -re

nosotros -remos

vosotros -reis

ustedes, ellos, ellas -ren

The nosotros form of the future subjunctive often has a tilde.

 

Examples: hubiéremos, supiéremos

Future Subjunctive Examples

 

No creo que vinieren mis abuelos.

I don’t believe my grandparents will come.

 

Espero que me diere un regalo bueno.

I hope that she will give me a good gift.

 

El que recibiere la mayoría de los votos será presidente.

The one who receives the most votes will be president.

 

Sea lo que fuere.

Let be what will be.

 

Digan lo que dijeren.

Say what should be said.