The Present Subjunctive: Irregular Verbs (ser, ir, haber, saber, estar, dar)

Spanish: El presente de subjuntivo: verbos irregulares (ser, ir, haber, saber, estar, dar)

Level: B1 Intermediate

Category: subjunctive

Explanation

The present subjunctive is a verb mood we use to express wishes, doubts, emotions, possibilities, and hypothetical situations. While most verbs form the subjunctive by changing the final vowel (from -ar to -e, from -er/-ir to -a), there is a group of very common verbs that are completely irregular and must be memorized. The six most important irregular verbs are: SER (sea, seas, sea, seamos, seáis, sean), IR (vaya, vayas, vaya, vayamos, vayáis, vayan), HABER (haya, hayas, haya, hayamos, hayáis, hayan), SABER (sepa, sepas, sepa, sepamos, sepáis, sepan), ESTAR (esté, estés, esté, estemos, estéis, estén), and DAR (dé, des, dé, demos, deis, den). These verbs do not follow the normal pattern, so you have to learn them by heart. We use these forms after expressions of wish like "quiero que" (I want), "espero que" (I hope), "ojalá" (hopefully); after expressions of doubt like "no creo que" (I do not think), "dudo que" (I doubt); and after emotions like "me alegro de que" (I am glad), "es importante que" (it is important). For example: "Espero que seas feliz" (I hope you are happy), "Ojalá vaya bien" (Hopefully it goes well). The verb HABER in the subjunctive (haya) is especially useful because it combines with the past participle to form the present perfect subjunctive: "Me alegro de que hayas venido" (I am glad that you have come). Mastering these six irregular verbs will give you a solid foundation for using the subjunctive with confidence.

Examples

• Espero que el café sea fuerte esta mañana. - I hope the coffee is strong this morning.
• Quiero que me dé un café con leche, por favor. - I want you to give me a coffee with milk, please.
• Ojalá haya habitaciones libres en el hotel. - Hopefully there are free rooms at the hotel.
• Es importante que la recepcionista sepa mi reserva. - It is important that the receptionist knows my reservation.
• No creo que el mercado esté abierto a esta hora. - I do not think the market is open at this hour.