When To Use Subjunctive?

Question

I know how to use subjunctive and how to translate it. But I don't exactly know when you are suppose to use it! Do you use it on certain situation or something?

You listed your level of Spanish as intermediate and your level of English as advanced, so you should know this. I'm confused. - rac1, Dec 11, 2014

is it same as english? - wjd1119, Dec 11, 2014

I hope advanced doesn't mean like being a teacher.... I've been living in USA for about 6 years now... - wjd1119, Dec 11, 2014

Answer 1

it means that I know the rule of conjugation but still confused about when to use it

How to use the subjunctive is a long complicated subject that involves usually more than a chapter in any given textbook. To put it in a single answer is nearly impossible, normally one picks out a particular aspect and discusses it.

The short answer that I can come up with:

You use the subjunctive when you are discussing something without declaring it.

Some people declare that it has to do with what is real and what is hypothetical, but that is not a good way to think of it.

If you declare how you feel about something that is completely real, you use subjunctive when describing that real thing. But you are not declaring it, it is a given that you are discussing.

But you have to learn how to apply my approach in various specific instances, and it is too complicated for a simple answer.

Here is a good summary though:

http://users.ipfw.edu/jehle/courses/PERSUAD1.HTM

This list has other of his lessons that will help:

http://users.ipfw.edu/jehle/S210.HTM

Great stuff. It's going in the reference section. Thanks Bosque. - sanlee, Dec 11, 2014

Thanks, Sandy. :) - bosquederoble, Dec 11, 2014

Has dado en el clavo otra vez. Enhorabuena. - Daniela2041, Dec 11, 2014

In Spain we learn the subjunctive in the way that you said that it is not good. Maybe for the English speakers is better the first way you suggest but I can´t understand that way. - txustaboy, Dec 11, 2014

We always define subjunctive using words as hypothetic, wish, etc..(hipotético, deseo, ..) - txustaboy, Dec 11, 2014

txustaboy is correct. :) - chileno, Dec 11, 2014

No me gusta que me dijeran esto. It is real, not hypothetical that you told me that. - bosquederoble, Dec 11, 2014

But different people have different ways of thinking about things, and everyone should use what works for them. - bosquederoble, Dec 11, 2014

Answer 2

If you knew its use and how to translate it, you wouldn't be asking this.

Really, the statement I know how to use it, but not how to use it, seems a little nonsensical. :D - bosquederoble, Dec 11, 2014

it means that I know the rule of conjugation but still confused about when to use it - wjd1119, Dec 11, 2014

I know what you meant to say, but study my statement in more ways than just one. :) You would do good if you followed txustaboy's advice too. - chileno, Dec 11, 2014