Spanish Present Subjunctive: forms and core uses

Short answer

Take the yo form, drop the -o and swap the vowel: hablar → hable, comer → coma. It follows expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and necessity — quiero que vengas, es importante que estudies.

Level B1 · verbs, subjunctive

The rule in full

How to build it: take the yo form of the present, drop the -o, add the opposite endings.

hablar (→ -e)comer (→ -a)vivir (→ -a)
yohablecomaviva
hablescomasvivas
él/ellahablecomaviva
nosotroshablemoscomamosvivamos
vosotroshabléiscomáisviváis
elloshablencomanvivan

An irregular yo carries over: tengo → tenga, hago → haga, digo → diga, conozco → conozca.

Six truly irregular verbs

serestarirhabersaberdar
seaestévayahayasepa

When to use it — after a verb of wish, emotion, doubt or influence, with que and a different subject:

TriggerExample
WishQuiero que vengas.
EmotionMe alegro de que estés aquí.
Doubt / denialNo creo que sea verdad.
InfluenceTe pido que hables con él.
ImpersonalEs importante que estudies.

Same subject → infinitive: Quiero venir.

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