"Cuando puedas", "donde puedas" et al.

Question

I have heard the expression – “Cuando puedas”- used when asking for something, eg the bill in a restaurant and understand that it means “when you can” and uses the subjunctive following the word “cuando”.

Can someone please tell me if it is similarly correct to say “Donde puedas” to a taxi driver to mean “stop where you can”. And is it correct to use the subjunctive in this case?

Can I substitute any word in place of “Cuando” to make a similar phrase or is this construction limited to certain words only?

Answer 1

I am not a native speaker but in general I would agree that you can say Donde puedas. You might want to be a bit more specific in case he decides he can't stop for three more blocks.

Since you are giving control to him of where the subjunctive seems (to me) to be appropriate.

thanks so much - ErikainAndalusia, Feb 11, 2016

Answer 2

To lend support for the answer by Gringo, which I voted for earlier but didn’t have time to comment:

http://www.bowdoin.edu/~eyepes/newgr/ats/50.htm

Please read the whole link, not just the bits I quoted here:

The subjunctive is used in adverb clauses when the action described in the clause is anticipated or hypothetical (a reservation, a condition not yet met, a mere intention).

Last one under conjunctions of condition:

Donde, where, wherever.

So just as with cuando, when it is a not yet realized happening, subjunctive is correct.

But also note, like cuando, at times you use indicative:

The indicative follows aunque, como, según and donde to acknowledge a known place or fact:

In this case the spot is hypothetical, not yet known, so subjunctive would be the choice that I would make.

The link doesn't mention "lo que", but the subjunctive is often used there to signify "whatever". - HackerKing, Feb 9, 2016

thank you for this - and the link which is great. - ErikainAndalusia, Feb 11, 2016