Why not Subjunctive?

Question

"Es bastante fácil una vez que sabes las centenas."

"It's easy enough once you know the hundreds."

Why not "una vez que sepas las centenas"?

Since the verb didn't happen in the past or is not happening in the presence, why didn't he use the subjunctive? Did he mean it will happen in the future? if so, why didn't he use the future tense?

I think it's a straightforward statement, not in the future. - annierats, Mar 5, 2013

Es fácil, si sabes como dejar de fumar. - annierats, Mar 5, 2013

Answer 1

I think you're right.

I'd say that this is similar to "cuando" and an event that hasn't happened yet. When you are referring to a unspecified moment in the future "una vez que" or any other time phrase such as "cuando" it calls for the subjunctive.

Edit:

I see that these are called "Time Subordinators:"

Después de que

Luego de que

Desde que

Siempre que

A pocas días de que

Hasta que

Apenas

Nomás que

En cuanto

Tan pronto como

Una vez que

Nada más

Cuando

Mientras que

A medida que

Según

Conforme