When the main clause of a sentence asks, suggests, orders, permits, or forbids something, the verb in the subordinate clause appears in the subjunctive. These verbs all involve one person trying to influence what another person does, and Spanish marks that influence grammatically by switching moods.
The core pattern
The structure is always the same: a main verb of influence + que + a new subject in the subjunctive.
Subject A + verb of influence + que + Subject B + subjunctive
Because the second subject is different from the first, Spanish cannot use an infinitive. It requires a full subordinate clause with que.
Common verbs of recommendation and command
The most frequent triggers in this category include:
- sugerir que — to suggest that
- recomendar que — to recommend that
- pedir que — to ask (request) that
- rogar que — to beg that
- exigir que — to demand that
- mandar que — to order that
- ordenar que — to order that
- prohibir que — to forbid that
- permitir que — to allow that
- dejar que — to let / allow that
- hacer que — to make (someone do something)
- aconsejar que — to advise that
- insistir en que — to insist that
All of these verbs share one feature: the speaker is trying to get someone else to act. That act has not yet happened and may not happen at all, which is exactly why Spanish chooses the subjunctive.
Les recomiendo que prueben el ceviche.
I recommend that you (all) try the ceviche.
Pedir vs. preguntar
A common trap for learners is confusing pedir (to ask for, to request) with preguntar (to ask a question). Only pedir triggers the subjunctive, because only pedir expresses a request that someone do something.
Te pido que me ayudes con la tarea.
I ask you to help me with the homework.
Hacer que: making someone do something
Hacer que is a slightly special case. It means "to make (someone) do something" in the sense of causing an action. It always takes the subjunctive because the action in the subordinate clause is the direct result of the main clause's influence.
El ruido hace que el perro ladre.
The noise makes the dog bark.
Prohibir, permitir, dejar
Verbs of permission and prohibition behave identically. They can be followed by que + subjunctive, or, less formally, by an indirect object + infinitive. Both structures are correct, but the que-clause version is more explicit and often clearer.
Mis padres no me dejan que vaya sola al concierto.
My parents don't let me go alone to the concert.
Indirect objects mark the influenced person
Many of these verbs (pedir, sugerir, recomendar, prohibir, permitir, aconsejar, mandar, ordenar) take an indirect object that names the person being influenced. That indirect object is usually a pronoun: me, te, le, nos, les.
Les sugiero que lleguen a las ocho en punto.
I suggest that you (all) arrive at eight sharp.
Why subjunctive here?
Every verb in this group shares a basic semantic feature: the speaker is projecting a desired or required action onto someone else. That action lives in a kind of grammatical future — it has not yet been realized, and the main clause is an attempt (wish, order, request, prohibition) to bring it about. Spanish reserves the indicative for things that already are, and uses the subjunctive for things the speaker wants to become.
For a broader view of which expressions trigger this mood, see the triggers overview. For verbs specifically about wanting and wishing, see wishes and desires.
Related Topics
- Wishes and Desires (Querer que, Esperar que)B1 — Use the subjunctive after verbs of wish, hope, and desire when the subject changes.
- Emotions (Alegrarse de que, Sentir que)B1 — Use the subjunctive after main clauses that express an emotional reaction to another subject's actions or states.
- Subjunctive Triggers OverviewB1 — An overview of the WEIRDO categories that introduce the subjunctive in Spanish dependent clauses.