Subjunctive conjugation?

Question

Hi I want to know if their is any irregular verbs in the subjunctive besides the three?

No, I dont think so :). - wildant6, Dec 31, 2010

There are 6 common ones: dar, estar, haber, ir, saber. ser. - lorenzo9, Jan 1, 2011

Answer 1

I have a list of 1178 verbs with irregular tenses in subjunctive (there are 6 tenses in subjunctive mood), which is nearly 11% of the entire list, but if you consider commonly used verbs, the percentage is a scary 58%. Verbs that few people use or know tend to be very regular (less than 9% irregular).

Of course, the unused ones are regular. Who would want it otherwise? - 0074b507, Jan 1, 2011

Answer 2

I'm not sure what three verbs you are talking about but here are a few* patterns (in terms of irregularity) that exist in terms of the present subjunctive (I will stick to discussing the present subjunctive) Many of these are irregular by nature of the fact that they follow the irregular form of the (first person singular) present indicative:

*Note: This is not to be taken as an exhaustive list. Aside from what is listed below there are at least several different types of vowel shifts which were not listed herein.

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Epenthesis

(phonetic change which involves the insertion of a sound or syllable in the word)

Insertion of /k/

?Verbs that end in -ecer (model: agradecer)

• In these verbs, the insertion of the phonetic /k/ sound occurs in all forms of the present subjunctive.
• Examples of verbs that follow this pattern are: agradecer, pertenecer, anochecer, atardecer, embebecer, enloquecer, enmohecer, ensombrecer, obedecer, ofrecer, permanecer, pertenecer, etc.

• Example: Agradecer ? agradezca, agradezcas, agradezca, agradezcamos, agradezcáis, agradezcan

?Verbs that end in -ducir (model: conducir)

• Verbs of this group also see the insertion of the phonetic /k/ sound in the present subjunctive.
• These include the verbs: aducir, conducir, deducir, inducir, introducir, producir, reconducir, reducir, reproducir, seducir, traducir, etc.
• In addition, verbs related to the verb lucir also follow this pattern: deslucir, enlucir, entrelucir, lucir, relucir, traslucir

• Example: Conducir ? conduzca, conduzcas, conduzca, conduzcamos, conduzcáis, conduzcan

Insertion of /g/

?Verbs whose root ends in -al (model: salir, valer)

• In verbs of this group (belonging to the 2nd and 3rd conjugations), the insertion of the phonetic /g/ occurs in the present subjunctive.
• These include the verbs: equivaler, resalir, salir, sobresalir, valer

• Example: Valer ? Valga, Valgas, Valga, Valgamos, Valgáis, Valgan

?Verbs whose root ends in -n (model: tener, venir)

• Verbs of this group (belonging to the 2nd and 3rd conjugations) also see the insertion of the phonetic /g/ sound in the present subjunctive. These include the verbs: abstener, advenir, antevenir, atenerse, avenir, contener, contravenir, convenir, desavenir, detener, devenir, entretener, intervenir, mantener, obtener, poner, prevenir, provenir, reconvenir, retener, revenir, sobrevenir, sostener, subvenir, supervenir, tener, venir, etc.

• Example: Tener ? Tenga, Tengas, Tenga, Tengamos, Tengáis, Tengan

?Certain verbs related to the verb asir (model: asir)

• Verbs of this group also see the insertion of the phonetic /g/ sound in the present subjunctive.
• These include the verbs: asir, desasir

• Example: Asir ? Asga, Asgas, Asga, Asgamos, Asgáis, Asgan

? Verbs related to the verb oír*

• The Verb oír (and its derivatives) also sees the insertion of the phonetic /g/ sound in the present subjunctive.
• Examples include: desoír, entreoír, oír, trasoír

• Example:oiga, oigas, oiga, oigamos, oigáis, oigan

*Note: In addition to the epenthesis that occurs with this verb, the diacritic mark is also lost over the "i."

Insertion of /ig/

?Certain verbs whose root ends in the vowel -a (model: caer, traer)*

• In verbs of this group (belonging to the 2nd conjugation), the insertion of the phonetic /ig/ occurs in the present subjunctive. These include the verbs: abstraer, atraer, caer, contraer, decaer, distraer, extraer, recaer, retraer, subtraer, sustraer, traer, etc.

• Example: Caer ? Caiga, Caigas, Caiga, Caigamos, Caigáis, Caigan

*Note: this particular epenthesis can also be found in conjugational variations of the verbs raer and roer, respectively.

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Vocalic and Consonant Shifts

Vowel and Consonant Shift: /ab/ ? /ep/

?Certain verbs whose root ends in /ab/ (models: caber*, saber)

• In these verbs, the replacement of the phonetic /ab/ sound with that of the /ep/ sound occurs in all forms of the present subjunctive.
• Examples of verbs that follow this pattern are: caber*, resaber and saber

• Example: Saber ? Sepa, Sepas, Sepa, Sepamos, Sepáis, Sepan

*Note: In the verb caber the initial phonetic /k/ is retained by substituting the letter 'c-' with 'qu-'

Consonant Shift: /s/ ? /?/ ~ /g/

?Certain verbs whose root ends in /s/ (models: hacer, facer* and decir)

• In the present subjunctive, each verb undergoes a similar consonant shift; however, the verb "decir" (along with other related verbs) also undergoes a vocalic shift (/e/ ~ /i/).
• Verbs similar to hacer/facer* include: afacer, contrahacer, desfacer, deshacer, refacer, rehacer, satisfacer, subyacer, yacer †.

• Example: Hacer ? Haga, Hagas, Haga, Hagamos, Hagáis, Hagan

• Verbs related to decir include: antedecir, bendecir, condecir, contradecir, desdecir, interdecir, maldecir, predecir, redecir.

• Example: decir ? Diga, Digas, Diga, Digamos, Digáis, Digan

*Note: The verb facer is an antiquated form of the verb hacer which still exists in modern Galician and Asturian

† The verb yacer (and the related 'subyacer') has a total of three sets of equally valid conjugations in the present subjunctive

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Verbs with Special Conjugations

Haber

**Example: **Haber ? Haya, Hayas, Haya, Hayamos, Hayáis, Hayan

Verbs Exhibiting Diacritic Marks

?Dar:

• In the present subjunctive (1st and 3rd person singular), this verb carries a diacritic mark in order to differentiate it from the preposition "de." In addition, the second person plural (vosotros form) does not carry an accent.

•**Example: ** Dar ? Dé, Des, Dé, Demos, Deis, Den

?Estar

• In all but the 1st and 2nd person plural forms, the present subjunctive carries an irregular diacritical mark. In the 1st and 3rd person singular, this mark differentiates it from the word "este."

• Example: Estar ? Esté, Estés, Esté, Estemos, Estéis, Estén

Root changing verbs: Ser and Ir

?Ser

• The verb ser is considered irregular in the fact that it does not follow the normal pattern of basing its morphology on the first person singular of the present indicative. This is due to the fact that across its many conjugations, the verb ser exhibits variations in its root (i.e. s-, e-, er-, fu-)

• Example Ser ? Sea, Seas, Sea, Seamos, Seáis, Sean

?Ir

• Like ser, the verb ir also follows an irregular pattern due similarly to the change in root form that occurs across the various conjugations of this verb (i.e. i-, v-, fu-,).

•** Example:** Ir ? Vaya, Vayas, Vaya, Vayamos, Vayáis, Vayan

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Defective Verbs

Issues with Morphophonology: Verbs of the Third Conjugation (-ir verbs)

• Some certain verbs of the third conjugation, for reasons having to do with morphophonology, are not used in the present subjunctive at all. That is, the if the verb ending (suffix) does not begin with the letter "-i," then the form is not used.
• Examples of these type of "defective verbs" include: abolir, arrecir, aterir, balbucir, colorir, compungir, desabrir, descolorir, desvaír embaír, garantir*, manir, preterir
*Note: The verb garantir is used in all its forms in Argentina and Uruguay

Verbs which only allow for uninflected forms

• These verbs are only used commonly in one or more of the following forms: infinitivo, participio and/or gerundio.
• Examples of these include: abarse, empedernir, podrir, raspahilar, repodrir, usucapir

Verbs only used in the third person

• Verbs of this type are only conjugated in the third person (singular and plural). Many of these verbs are used to describe impersonal/natural processes such as the weather.
• Examples include: acaecer, acontecer, antojarse, atañer, atardecer, cellisquear, chaparrear, clarecer, concernir, diluviar, empecer, encelajarse, garuar, granizar, harinear, mollinear, molliznar, obstar, pintear, zaracear

Iza, these one-liner posts have *got* to stop! :-) - webdunce, Jan 1, 2011

jejeje....yeah, you're probably right - Izanoni1, Jan 1, 2011

Webdunce, now that's really funny! - --Mariana--, Jan 1, 2011

Almost all of the verbs you mention are regular in the subjunctive, ie. are formed from the first person singular conjugation in ther normal manner. - lorenzo9, Jan 1, 2011

@Lorenzo: All of the verbs I mentioned are recognized by the RAE as being irregular in the subjunctive (the reasons for this having already been listed above) - Izanoni1, Jan 1, 2011

but you can take off the list a few verbs... like "asir" and the last 2 lists you´ve mentioned... - veroz, Jan 1, 2011

Answer 3

First you must clarify the verbs you refer to. When you do your research, you will easily find more than 100 irregular verbs that can be use in subjunctive mode. My subjunctive conjugations will surely land me into dunce corner sooner or later!