Regular -er and -ir verbs share a single set of subjunctive endings, which makes them surprisingly easy to master. Because their indicative endings typically contain the vowel -e- or -i-, the subjunctive flips to -a-, the opposite vowel.
Formation
The procedure is the same as for -ar verbs:
- Start with the yo form of the present indicative.
- Drop the final -o.
- Add the endings: -a, -as, -a, -amos, -an.
Beginning with the yo form means that verbs with a go-type irregularity (like tengo, vengo, salgo) carry that irregularity into the entire subjunctive.
Endings for -er and -ir Verbs
| Subject | Ending |
|---|---|
| yo | -a |
| tú | -as |
| él / ella / usted | -a |
| nosotros | -amos |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | -an |
A huge benefit of the subjunctive is that -er and -ir verbs no longer have different endings for nosotros (as they do in the indicative, where we say comemos but vivimos). In the subjunctive, both become -amos.
Comer (to eat)
| Subject | Present Subjunctive |
|---|---|
| yo | coma |
| tú | comas |
| él / ella / usted | coma |
| nosotros | comamos |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | coman |
Mi mamá quiere que comamos más verduras.
My mom wants us to eat more vegetables.
Es mejor que no comas tanto azúcar.
It's better that you don't eat so much sugar.
Vivir (to live)
| Subject | Present Subjunctive |
|---|---|
| yo | viva |
| tú | vivas |
| él / ella / usted | viva |
| nosotros | vivamos |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | vivan |
Espero que vivas muchos años felices.
I hope you live many happy years.
Dudo que vivan en el centro de la ciudad.
I doubt they live in the city center.
Aprender (to learn)
| Subject | Present Subjunctive |
|---|---|
| yo | aprenda |
| tú | aprendas |
| él / ella / usted | aprenda |
| nosotros | aprendamos |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | aprendan |
Es importante que los niños aprendan otro idioma.
It's important that children learn another language.
Escribir (to write)
| Subject | Present Subjunctive |
|---|---|
| yo | escriba |
| tú | escribas |
| él / ella / usted | escriba |
| nosotros | escribamos |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | escriban |
Quiero que me escribas cuando llegues.
I want you to write me when you arrive.
Watch the Yo-Stem
Many verbs look irregular in the subjunctive but actually follow the regular pattern once you start from the yo form of the indicative. Consider these:
- tener → tengo → tenga, tengas, tenga, tengamos, tengan
- salir → salgo → salga, salgas, salga, salgamos, salgan
- hacer → hago → haga, hagas, haga, hagamos, hagan
Ojalá que tengas un buen fin de semana.
I hope you have a good weekend.
Continue with stem changes to learn how verbs like pensar and dormir behave in the subjunctive.
Related Topics
- Regular -ar VerbsB1 — Form the present subjunctive of regular -ar verbs with the endings -e, -es, -e, -emos, -en.
- Stem ChangesB1 — Learn how stem-changing verbs behave in the present subjunctive, including the special rules for -ir verbs.
- Spelling ChangesB1 — Learn the spelling changes that preserve consonant sounds in the present subjunctive.