Español — Indicative vs subjunctive overview
Spanish chooses the mood by attitude toward the fact: the indicative asserts something as real or certain (Sé que viene), the subjunctive frames it as wanted, felt, doubted or not yet real (Quiero que venga). This map shows the contrast across the main clause types.
How it works
Use the indicative when the main clause asserts a fact or expresses certainty (creo que, es verdad que, sé que): Creo que tiene razón. Use the subjunctive when the main clause expresses desire, emotion, doubt, denial or an as-yet-unreal event (quiero que, me alegra que, dudo que, cuando + future): Dudo que tenga razón.
Examples
| Trigger / context | Indicative (asserted) | Subjunctive (non-asserted) |
|---|---|---|
| Belief / certainty vs doubt | Creo que viene. | No creo que venga. |
| Knowledge vs desire | Sé que estudias mucho. | Quiero que estudies más. |
| Fact vs emotional reaction | Es verdad que llueve. | Me alegra que llueva. |
| Objective statement vs value judgment | Es evidente que sabe conducir. | Es importante que sepa conducir. |
| Known referent vs sought/hypothetical referent | Busco un piso que tiene balcón. | Busco un piso que tenga balcón. |
| Habitual / past time vs pending future time (cuando) | Cuando llega, cenamos. | Cuando llegue, cenaremos. |
Good to know
Negation and questions can flip the mood: creer/pensar take the indicative when affirmed (Creo que viene) but often the subjunctive when negated, because the assertion is withdrawn (No creo que venga). The reverse holds for doubt verbs: No dudo que viene keeps the indicative. Watch these polarity switches — they are the most common learner errors.