Subordinate Clauses Overview

A subordinate clause (also called a dependent clause) is a clause that cannot stand on its own — it needs a main clause to complete the sentence. Spanish uses subordinate clauses constantly, and mastering them is one of the biggest steps from intermediate to advanced fluency.

In a sentence like Creo que viene mañana (I think he's coming tomorrow), creo is the main clause and que viene mañana is the subordinate clause. The subordinate clause gives extra information that the main clause introduces.

Main Clause vs. Dependent Clause

Every Spanish sentence has one main clause — the backbone that could stand alone — and may have one or more subordinate clauses hanging off it. Subordinate clauses are usually introduced by a connector, most often que, but also cuando, porque, aunque, si, para que, and many others.

Here, sé is the main clause and que tienes razón is the dependent clause. You cannot say Que tienes razón by itself as a complete thought — it needs the main verb to anchor it.

In this example, avísame is the main clause (a command) and cuando llegue is the subordinate clause. Notice how the subordinate clause can come before or after the main clause.

The Three Main Types

Spanish subordinate clauses fall into three big categories based on the grammatical role they play in the sentence.

1. Noun Clauses (Complement Clauses)

A noun clause acts as a noun — it can be the subject or object of the main verb. These are almost always introduced by que.

The clause que vengas a la fiesta works as the direct object of quiero — it names what I want. For a deep dive, see Complement Clauses.

Here the noun clause que estudies is the subject of es importante.

2. Adjective Clauses (Relative Clauses)

An adjective clause modifies a noun, just like an adjective. These are introduced by relative pronouns like que, quien, el cual, and cuyo.

The clause que compré describes el libro, just like an adjective would. See Restrictive Relatives for details.

Notice that this adjective clause takes the subjunctive hable because the person is hypothetical — a crucial pattern covered in Subjunctive in Relatives.

3. Adverbial Clauses

An adverbial clause modifies the main verb, telling you when, where, how, why, or under what condition. These are introduced by adverbial conjunctions like cuando, porque, aunque, si, para que, and antes de que.

The Crucial Connector: Que

The small word que does a huge amount of work in Spanish grammar. It can be:

• A complementizer introducing a noun clause: Dice que viene (He says he's coming)
• A relative pronoun introducing an adjective clause: El libro que leí (The book that I read)
• Part of a compound conjunction: para que, antes de que, sin que, aunque

Indicative vs. Subjunctive in Subordinate Clauses

Choosing between indicative and subjunctive in the subordinate clause is one of the most important decisions in Spanish grammar. The rough rule:

• Indicative for facts, certainty, and real information
• Subjunctive for doubt, desire, emotion, possibility, and the unknown

The first uses indicative viene because the speaker is committing to the claim. The second uses subjunctive venga because the negation introduces doubt.

The first is about a habitual, real event (indicative llega). The second is about a future event that has not yet happened (subjunctive llegue).

Non-Finite Subordinate Clauses

Spanish also has subordinate clauses built around non-finite verb forms (infinitives and gerunds) instead of conjugated verbs. These are common, compact, and very idiomatic.

The pattern al + infinitive means upon doing something or when doing something — a shorter equivalent of a cuando clause.

The pattern de + infinitive can express a conditional — equivalent to si + verb.

The pattern sin + infinitive expresses without doing something, equivalent to a sin que clause when the subject is the same as the main clause.

Comparison With English Subordination

English and Spanish subordination work similarly in shape, but differ in details:

Notice that English can say I want him to go, but Spanish requires a full subordinate clause with a conjugated verb whenever the subject changes.

A Table of Common Conjunctions

The conjunction you use determines both the type of subordinate clause and often the mood of its verb.

Where to Go Next

Subordinate clauses are the backbone of connected Spanish speech and writing. To dig deeper into specific types, continue with Complement Clauses for noun clauses, and Restrictive Relatives for adjective clauses. For advanced pronoun behavior inside complex sentences, see Clitic Climbing.