Why are these phrases in the subjunctive?

Question

Hello!

I've been learning the Subjunctive tense and when to use it, but there are some phrases which I just cannot understand why the subjunctive has been used:

"Ay, y cuando llegue la mañana y salga el sol Tu volverás a mi lado y ya no yo"

• I can't see any of the "classic" phrases which causes the subjunctive, so why is it "llegue" and "salga" rather than "llega" and "sale"?

"Y que a tu edad sepas bien lo que es Romperle el corazón a alguien así "

• Again, I don't understand why it is "sepas", not "sabes"?

Thank you!

Please complete the profile giving us your languages and levels. - ray76, Aug 3, 2016

Answer 1

The subjunctive is very hard for learners to understand. The thing is that Spanish language cannot live without it, so sometimes it's good to learn it as part of phrases. Let's check:

1. Cuando + indicative. We'll use this form when we're stating a fact, o permanent situations. The use of cuando implies at the point in time that.
   Cuando llego en la mañana, siempre vuelves a mi lado. (= permanent situation so we use the indicative form.)
2. Cuando + subjunctive. We'll use this form when the situation does't happen yet.
   Cuando llegue en la mañana, volverás a mi lado (= but I don't arrive yet, but once I arrive, you'll come back.)

Basically, when using the second form, it's for actions that are not permanent or a fact yet. Compare:

Cuando tenga las herramientas, lo construiré. (= but I don't the tools yet.)
Cuando tengo las herramientas, construyo todo. (= I have the tools and I build what I want.)

---

Having said this, then y que a tu edad sepas bien (= but at your age, you don't know). Replacing sepas by sabes shows that we're implying a fact. So y que a tu edad sabes bien (= you know what happens then).

Si estás enfermo, y si digo “siento que estés enfermo”, esto implica “qué lástima que estés enfermo” y si digo “siento que estás enfermo”, esto implica “me doy cuenta de que estás enfermo”, pero es hecho que estás enfermo en los dos casos, ¿no? - bosquederoble, Aug 2, 2016

Sí, pero la gran diferencia del primer caso es que va dirigido como una actitud hacia el hablante — Como cuando estás hablando con una persona por teléfono y le comentas "me pediste que te llamara", y sabes que lo estás haciendo. - Oshnaj, Aug 2, 2016

Answer 2

"Ay, y cuando llegue la mañana y salga el sol Tu volverás a mi lado y ya no yo"

Cuando followed by something that has not happened yet and is not habitual, is always subjunctive. When tomorrow comes is clearly future.

See here:

http://spanish.about.com/od/verbmoods/a/cuando-subjunctive.htm

In contrast, the present-tense subjunctive mood typically is used when cuando comes before a verb referring to an event that has yet to occur:

I am not going to bring the rest of it over- go to the link to read it.

"Y que a tu edad sepas bien lo que es Romperle el corazón a alguien así "

Here in a fragment without context it is impossible to tell. But if you get the full lyric, you realize it is under “sentir que” which is stating how you feel about something, and so is classic subjunctive, at least if you mean it in the sense of regret that (it can be indicative if you mean it as sense as in notice).

https://www.letras.com/shakira/177129/

Voy a pedirte que no vuelvas más

Siento que me duelas todavía aquí

Adentro

Y que a tu edad sepas bien lo que es

Romperle el corazón a alguien así