Stuck on Subjunctives? Practice This 1 Sentence

‍To get started, you just need one handy sentence structure:

• I want you to be here.
• Quiero que estés aquí.

Once you start using this sentence – and adapting it to other contexts – you’ll unlock a whole world of expressions.

In this video and article, we’ll break this sentence down and practice it in a bunch of ways. By the end of the article, we’ll turn the subjunctive from a stumbling block into a building block for your Spanish skills.

Subjunctive Basics: “Quiero que…”

Let’s start with some very easy practice.

Right now, subjunctives probably feel very strange because there’s no literal English equivalent. But if you start practicing this now, it will feel more and more natural over time.

Let’s begin with the most common use of the subjunctive: Expressing an intention that you have for someone else, specifically with the phrase Quiero que.

Now, quiero que literally means “I want that…” So to say “I want you to be here”, you actually have to say, literally, “I want that you be here,” or Quiero que estés aquí.

The formula is:

• Quiero que + subjunctive

Let’s look at some examples.

• To say: I want them to be here.
• Reword to: I want that they be here.
• Spanish: Quiero que ellos estén aquí.‍
  ‍
• To say: I want my friend to be here.
• Reword to: I want that my friend be here.
• Spanish: Quiero que mi amigo esté aquí.

‍

Level 1: Use “Quiero Que” with Estar Subjunctives

Now that we’ve covered the basics of using the subjunctive, let’s get some active practice, using Estar in the subjunctive.

Here is a list of the most common subjunctive forms of Estar:

• yo esté
• tú estés
• él/ella esté
• nosotros estemos
• ellos estén

We’re about to do a quiz, and your task will be to choose the right version to go in the sentence! For example, let’s say the sentence in English is:

• I want my friend to be here.

The correct form is esté (which goes with él/ella). So the Spanish is:

• Quiero que mi amigo esté aquí.

Go ahead and try to translate these sentences into Spanish! (Then check the answer key below.)

1. I want them to be here.
2. I want us to be here.
3. I want the girl to be here.

Answers:

1. Quiero que ellos estén aquí.
2. Quiero que nosotros estemos aquí.
3. Quiero que la chica esté aquí.

‍

Level 2: Say What Other People Want (with Estar Subjunctives)

Now that you understand how to use the subjunctive to express your desired intentions, using Quiero que, let's explore how to express the intentions of other people. It’s pretty simple: Instead of saying Quiero que, you’ll exchange quiero for another person.

To do this, you’ll need more forms of Querer. Here are the most common:

• yo quiero
• tú quieres
• él/ella quiere
• nosotros queremos
• ellos quieren

So here are some examples:

• They want us to be here. → Quieren que nosotros estemos aquí.
• He wants me to be here. → Quiere que yo esté aquí.
• Do you want her to be here? → ¿Quieres que ella esté aquí?

All right, time for another quiz! Practice using all these forms of Querer with the subjunctives of Estar. Here are a few sentences to try to translate into Spanish!

1. You want my friends to be here.
2. We want you to be here.
3. They want me to be here.
4. He wants her to be here.

Answers:

1. Quieres que mis amigos estén aqui.
2. Queremos que tú estés aqui.
3. Quieren que yo esté aqui.
4. Él quiere que ella esté aqui.

‍

Level 3: Use More Subjunctives!

Now that we’ve mastered this core sentence structure, Quiero que estés aquí, and its variations, let’s take it up a notch.

So far, we’ve only been practicing using the subjunctives of the verb Estar. Now it’s time to throw in a few other common verbs.

We’ll begin with Ir, which means “to go”. Here are the most common subjunctive forms:

• yo vaya
• tú vayas
• él/ella vaya
• nosotros vayamos
• ellos vayan

And here are some examples:

• My mother wants me to go home. → Mi madre quiere que yo vaya a casa.
• The man wants them to go to the place. → El hombre quiere que ellos vayan al lugar.
• My friend wants her to go to the party. → Mi amiga quiere que ella vaya a la fiesta.

Give this a try with a quiz!

1. He wants us to go to the house.
2. I want them to go to the place.
3. Do you want me to go to your house?
4. They want her to go to the place.

Answers:

1. Quiere que vayamos a la casa.
2. Quiero que vayan al lugar.
3. ¿Quieres que vaya a tu casa?
4. Quieren que ella vaya al lugar.

How did you do?

Now let’s throw in even more. We’re going to try some subjunctive forms of Ser (the other verb that means “to be), Tener (which means “to have”), and Ir (“to go”).

Try to translate these sentences!

1. I want the girl to have this.
2. Do you want me to be your friend?
3. We want them to do that.
4. I want you to be my friend.

Answers:

1. Quiero que la chica tenga esto.
2. Quieres que yo sea tu amigo?
3. Queremos que ellos hagan eso.
4. Quiero que tú seas mi amigo.

‍

Level 4: Practice the Subjunctive with Flashcards

The key to mastering subjunctives is consistent practice.

We’ve created a set of 30 flashcards with examples from this guide (and many more!) to help you drill this sentence structure. By spending just a few minutes a day with them, you’ll feel confident using Spanish subjunctives in all kinds of contexts.

Here’s where you can download the free flashcards and take the first step toward using Spanish subjunctives fluently:

Download the Subjunctive Flashcards Here

In summary: Learning the subjunctive doesn’t have to be intimidating! Just start with this one sentence structure, Quiero que estés aquí. Then build variations little by little. Pretty soon you’ll be using the subjunctive like a native speaker!