Hard Translation

Question

There's a sentence I don't understand its translation. How could "Tal vez esté aquí pronto" translate into "Maybe she'll be here soon"?

Where's the future tense in the Spanish phrase? Is this translation right?

It would make sense if it's "Tal vez estaré aquí pronto."

Answer 1

Turoko:

The present is used all the time to speak about the future in Spanish, it's very normal and common....

Ya voy (I'm coming)

Ya regreso (I'll be back)

Te mando un mensaje privado (I'll send you a private message)

Mañana te cuento (I'll tell you tomorrow)

The subjuntive speaks about the realization of the future in itself in most senses. So it's not so complicated.

Tal vez esté aquí mañana...

Using "tal vez" and talking about possibilty calls for the subjuntive... don't think too much about it, just use it.

You can say however "Tal vez no conozco a mis padres, pero estoy feliz de todos modos" - Maybe I don't know my parents (and I'm saying that I don't), but I'm happy anyway.

However: If you really feel uncomfortable writing it that way, you can first write the sentence, then tag it with (tal vez)

Estaré aquí mañana, tal vez.

Answer 2

You're spot on, the subjunctive mood is used here rather than the future tense in the indicative mood because you aren't declaring she'll be here - the subjunctive allows you to put a bit of doubt into her arrival, hopeful but not sure.

Hey there, ´s been a while! I'd argue that it's not used in place of the future tense - as I've mentioned below, mood aside, the present is use far more in Spanish than English to talk about future events. - afowen, Jan 22, 2013

quite right, good point, although I really only mentioned 'instead of the future tense' as might have been expected, not meaning that if the subjunctive wasn't needed the future tense should be used. ;) - Kiwi-Girl, Jan 22, 2013

but good on you for giving a bit more info on the Spanish present and it being used where the English would often use the future, that's something that not everyone notices :) - Kiwi-Girl, Jan 22, 2013

There is a big difference, obviously, between learning from a book and being immersed in a culture - I've never read nor taken a class that has addressed the frequency with which the present is used for the future in (at least some) Spanish :-) - afowen, Jan 22, 2013

very true, I guess everyone works with what they've got and hopefully between us we will all give some good well-rounded out answers from a few different perspectives ;) - Kiwi-Girl, Jan 22, 2013

I don't understand the convo, but I've read at least one grammar book where the use of present to speak about the future is mention. Te lo muestro luego. - avispao, Jan 23, 2013

a good example, I think Afowen added his comment as an extra as it's not really the issue here, the subjunctive is the only option in Turoko's sentence but yes I think we all agree that when the subjunctive isn't required the present tense is a good way - Kiwi-Girl, Jan 23, 2013

to express the near future (as in your example) :) - Kiwi-Girl, Jan 23, 2013

Answer 3

Afowen is correct about the use of present tense to mean future, however subjunctive present is also used in place of subjunctive future, which is so unused that it´s almost non-existent.

The sentence in question requires subjunctive regardless of the choice between present subjunctive and future subjunctive, so in this case we can use either "estuviere" future subjunctive, or "esté" present subjunctive and the most commonly used today.

Estoy de acuerdo... aunque nunca jamás he visto el futuro del subjuntivo usado.... - avispao, Jan 23, 2013

yo tampoco, I hope you're not showing your age here JC jeje :) - Kiwi-Girl, Jan 23, 2013

I understand that it's pretty much restricted to literature nowadays. - afowen, Jan 23, 2013

Answer 4

Something important to note is that the present tense is used in place of the future tense far more in Spanish than it is in English, at least where I live.

Te guardo un poco - I save you a bit, instead of I'll save you a bit

Nos vemos en un rato - We see each other soon (i.e. (I'll) see you soon), instead of we'll see each other soon

Lo hago ahora - I do it now, instead of I'll do it now

¿A qué hora vamos? - At what time to we go, instead of (at) what time are we going

Te lo traigo mañana - I bring it to you tomorrow, instead of I'll bring it to you tomorrow

quite right, and in fact taz vez can be followed by the present indicative 'está' instead of the subjunctive, if the person wanted to express more certainty, a higher degree of probability, that whoever it was was going to arrive soon. - Kiwi-Girl, Jan 22, 2013

Answer 5

Tal vez (quizás, ...) esté aquí...

He might be here.