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Present Indicative vs. Subjunctive Quiz

Do you know the difference between the present indicative and the present subjunctive moods in Spanish? Most simply put, the indicative depicts certainty and objectivity while the subjunctive describes doubt and subjectivity. If you would like to learn about or brush up on these concepts, we suggest lessons from Yabla's Spanish lesson archives on how to use the Spanish present indicative and when to use the Spanish subjunctive, and when you feel ready, test your knowledge with this quiz!

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Present Indicative vs. Subjunctive: Fill in the Blank

In the following sentences, choose the correct present indicative or subjunctive verb to fill in the blank. 

 

1. David ____ al gimnasio todos los días.

a. va

b. vaya

 

2.  Espero que María ______ a la fiesta; hace mucho que no la veo. 

a. viene

b. venga

 

3. Nos alegra mucho de que ____ aquí.

a. estás

b. estés

 

4. Juan _____ ahora mismo. 

a. viene 

b. venga

 

5. Juan estudió muy poco para el examen. Dudo que _____ una buena nota. 

a. saca

b. saque

 

6. Todos nos vemos afectados por la sequía. Ojalá que ______ pronto. 

a. llueve

b. llueva

 

7.  Yo te _____ mañana. 

a. llamo

b. llame

 

8. Los planetas _____ alrededor del sol.

a. giran

b. giren

 

9. Si quieres ser músico profesional, es muy importante que __________ mucho. 

a. practicas

b. practiques 

 

10. Recomiendo que _________ Barcelona durante nuestro viaje a España.

a. visitamos

b. visitemos 

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Bonus Round

These tougher bonus round questions include more than one verb in the present indicative and/or subjunctive mood(s), as well more options. Are you ready?! 

 

11. Yo ______ que Manuel me ______ a la fiesta.

a. quiero, invita

b. quiera, invite

c. quiero, invite

d. quiera, invita

 

12. Mariela _____ muchas ganas de conocer Brazil. Es seguro que _____ ahí este verano. 

a. tiene, viaja

b. tenga, viaje

c. tiene, viaje

d. tenga, viaja

 

13. No creo que _______ al evento. Todos ________ muy enfermos. 

a. asistimos, estamos

b. asistamos, estemos

c. asistimos, estemos

d. asistamos, estamos

 

14. _______ en contacto. Nos _____ pronto. 

a. Estamos, vemos

b. Estemos, veamos

c. Estamos, veamos

d. Estemos, vemos

 

15. Te ____ que me _____ la verdad, que siempre ____ sincero conmigo. 

a. pido, dices, eres

b. pida, digas, seas

c. pido, digas, seas

d. pida, dices, seas

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Present Indicative vs. Subjunctive Quiz: The Answers

The following are the answers to all of the questions in this Present Indicative vs. Subjunctive Quiz as well as the translations and grammatical justifications for each. 

 

1. Correct Answer: a. va (indicative)

David va al gimnasio todos los días.

David goes to the gym every day. 

REASON: The indicative mood is used to describe routines and repetitive actions in the present. 

 

2.  Correct Answer: b. venga (subjunctive)

Espero que María venga a la fiesta; hace mucho que no la veo.

I hope that Maria comes to the party; I haven't seen her for a long time. 

REASON: The subjunctive mood should be employed in a sentence's dependent clause following que (that) or some other subordinating conjunction when the main clause, in this case espero que (I hope that), expresses some wish, hope, or desire. In other words, although the speaker "hopes" that Maria will come to the party, we don't know if she will. 

 

3. Correct Answer: b. estés (subjunctive)

Nos alegra mucho de que estés aquí.

We're really happy that you're here. 

REASON: Although the speaker is certain of the person to whom they are speaking's presence, the subjunctive is utilized in dependent clauses that follow a subject's emotional or subjective reaction. Let's take a look at a similar example where emotion in the main clause triggers the subjunctive in the dependent one:

 

me da miedo que mis seres queridos sufran

it scares me for my loved ones to [potentially] suffer

o que les pasen cosas malas.

or for bad things to happen to them.

Caption 41, El Aula Azul - La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y sentimientos

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4. Correct Answer: a. viene 

Juan viene ahora mismo. 

Juan is coming right now. 

REASON: The present indicative is used to portray actions that are unfolding at the present moment. 

 

5. Correct Answer: b. saque (subjunctive)

Juan estudió muy poco para el examen. Dudo que saque una buena nota. 

Juan studied very little for the exam. I doubt that he'll get a good grade. 

REASON: When doubt or disbelief is expressed in a Spanish sentence's main clause, the verb in the dependent clause must be in the subjunctive

 

6. Correct Answer: b. llueva (subjunctive)

Todos nos vemos afectados por la sequía. Ojalá que llueva pronto. 

We're all affected by the drought. Hopefully it will rain soon. 

REASON: When a verb follows the word Ojalá, which means roughly "hopefully," it will be always be conjugated in the subjunctive. Let's see another example:

 

y ojalá disfruten del aprendizaje de nuestro idioma.

and I hope you enjoy learning our language.

Caption 56, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín - Manuel y El barrilito

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7. Correct Answer: a. llamo

Yo te llamo mañana. 

I'll call you tomorrow.

REASON: Sometimes, actions that will happen in the near future are expressed with the present indicative in Spanish. 

 

8. Correct Answer: a. giran

Los planetas giran alrededor del sol.

The planets revolve around the sun.  

REASON: Facts and universal truths are described with the Spanish present indicative, as in the following caption:

 

Ámsterdam cuenta con setenta y cinco kilómetros de canales

Amsterdam has seventy-five kilometers of canals

y tiene más de mil puentes.

and has more than a thousand bridges.

Captions 60-61, Viajando con Fermín - Ámsterdam

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9. Correct Answer: b. practiques (subjunctive)

Si quieres ser músico profesional, es muy importante que practiques mucho. 

If you want to be a professional musician, it's very important that you practice a lot. 

REASON: Unless they express certainty, impersonal expressions such as es importante que (it's important that), es raro que (it's strange that), es bueno/malo que (it's good/bad that), etc. are followed by a verb in the subjunctive

 

10. Correct Answer: b. visitemos (subjunctive)

Recomiendo que visitemos Barcelona durante nuestro viaje a España.

I recommend that we visit Barcelona during our trip tp Spain.

REASON: When making recommendations to others, the verb that follows must be in subjunctive, like in the following clip:

 

les aconsejo que vayan a Zipaquirá,

I advise you to go to Zipaquira,

Caption 29, Aprendiendo con Carlos - América precolombina - Mitos y leyendas Muiscas

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Bonus Round

11. Correct Answer: c. quiero (indicative)invite (subjunctive)

Yo quiero que Manuel me invite a la fiesta.

I want Manuel to invite me to the party. 

REASON: The indicative verb in the main clause (quiero) expresses a wish or desire, which triggers the subjunctive in the dependent clause.

 

12. Correct Answer: a. tiene (indicative), viaja (indicative)

Mariela tiene muchas ganas de conocer Brazil. Es seguro que viaja allá este verano. 

Mariela really wants to go to Brazil. She'll surely travel there this summer. 

REASON: Since it's a fact that Mariela wants to go to Brazil, the first verb (tiene) is in the indicative. The second verb (viaja) is also in the indicative because it follows an impersonal expression that expresses certainty

 

13. Correct Answer: d. asistamos (subjunctive), estamos (indicative)

No creo que asistamos al evento. Todos estamos muy enfermos. 

I don't think we'll attend the event. We're all really sick. 

REASON: In the first sentence, the main clause No creo que (I don't think that) expresses disbelief, triggering the subjunctive in the dependent clause. In the second sentence, estamos (we're) is in the indicative because it's a fact that "we're all sick."

 

14. Correct Answer: a. Estamos (indicative), vemos (indicative)

Estamos en contacto. Nos vemos pronto. 

We'll be in touch. See you soon.  

REASON: These common expressions are examples of how the Spanish present indicative can be used to talk about actions to take place in the near future

 

15. Correct Answer: c. pido (indicative), digas (subjunctive), seas (subjunctive)

Te pido que me digas la verdad, que siempre seas sincero conmigo. 

I ask you to tell me the truth, to always be honest with me. 

REASON: Once again, the verb in the main clause, pido (I ask), is in the indicative, and since it indicates a desire, the following verbs in the dependent clause, digas (to tell) and seas (to be), are in the subjunctive

 

That's all for this quiz. How did you do?! To better understand the various uses of the Spanish present indicative and subjunctive, we have a plethora of lessons and videos in our archives to assist you! For starters, try Clase Aula Azul's series Pedir deseos (Making Wishes) and Información con subjuntivo e indicativo (Information with Subjunctive and Indicative), Ana Carolina's El modo subjuntivo (The Subjunctive Mood), and Doctora Consejos (Doctor Advice) videos like Subjuntivo y sentimientos (Subjunctive and Feelings) and Subjuntivo y persona ideal (Subjunctive and Ideal Person). In the meantime, we hope you've enjoyed this Present Indicative vs. Subjunctive Quiz, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.

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Beyond Cansado/Enojado: Describing Feelings of Tiredness or Anger in Spanish

Unfortunately, we all have times when we feel tired (cansado) or angry (enojado). So, how can we describe these emotions in Spanish, beyond those basic terms? In this lesson, we will go over some more evocative expressions to explain how you feel, say, after a hard day at the office or when you are sick and tired of arguing with that certain someone once more.

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Feeling Tired

There are several adjectives and phrases to show that we have run out of energy, one of which is estar agotado/(to be exhausted):

 

Yo también estoy agotada.

I am also exhausted.

Caption 27, NPS No puede ser - 1 - El concurso

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In addition, the girls on Muñeca Brava, who are always colorful in their vocabulary and ready to share their emotions, give us three expressions in a row!

 

Te juro, Mili, que estoy muerta.

I swear to you, Mili, that I'm dead tired.

No doy más. Knockout.

I'm exhausted. Knocked out.

Captions 2-3, Muñeca Brava - 43 La reunión

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Sometimes we are so tired that we tend to get irritable, and, in this kind of limbo before anger itself, you might feel agobio or fastidio. Unlike the previous examples, feeling agobiado or fastidioso cannot result from physical activity since these terms are related to your emotions. 

 

de un tipo que está agobiado.

of a guy who is overwhelmed.

Caption 60, Bersuit Vergarabat - EPK

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Feeling Angry

On those other days when we are just plain mad, vocabulary like cabreado (annoyed), harto (sick and tired), and arrecho (angry) might come in handy.

 

Bronca/rabia (annoyance)

 

It is worth mentioning that both bronca and rabia collocate, or tend to go along with, the same verbs: dar (in this case "to cause"), tener ("to be" or "feel" in these examples), and pasar (when that feeling has "passed," or "ended"):

 

Me da bronca/rabia.    It makes me angry/annoys me.

Tengo bronca/rabia.    I'm angry/furious.

Se me pasó la bronca/rabia.    I'm not angry anymore. 

 

me empezó a apretar y lo que más bronca me dio que me...

he started to squeeze me and what annoyed me the most [was] that...

Caption 14, Muñeca Brava - 2 Venganza

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que una forma de manejar la rabia

that a way to manage rage

es aceptar que tengo rabia y por qué,

is to accept that I feel rage and why,

Captions 51-52, Escribiendo un libro - Algunos consejos sobre cómo comenzar

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Other useful adjectives are podrido/(informal, colloquial), which is common in Argentina, or encabronado/a, which is common in Spain:

 

Mira, mi madre y vos me tienen podrido.

Look, I'm sick and tired of you and my mother.

Caption 30, Muñeca Brava - 1 Piloto - Part 3

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Sacar de quicio/sacar de las casillas  (to make someone lose their temper)

 

On an episode of El Aula Azul's - La Doctora Consejos, we learn the expression sacar de quicio (to annoy someone) and recommend watching this video to hear several examples of this expression:

 

¿qué cosas te sacan de quicio?

what things do you find annoying?

Caption 65, El Aula Azul - La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y sentimientos

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This same video contains another idiom with a similar meaning that also uses the verb sacar:

 

¡Eso sí que me saca de mis casillas!

That really drives me crazy!

Caption 77, El Aula Azul - La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y sentimientos

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And when someone has lost his or her temper, you might hear others say "Está sacado/a" (He/she lost it).

 

Estar hasta la coronilla

 

This additional idiom can be useful if you feel you've had enough and are short of patience:

 

Muy bien, estaba hasta la coronilla.

Just great, I was fed up.

Caption 16, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 6

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Additional Verbs Meaning "to Make Someone Mad" (or Worse!)

Some other common verbs that can be used when something or someone "makes you angry" (or perhaps the less polite "pisses you off") include joder, reventar, sacar, embolar, and cabrear. In Spain, joder is also used as an extremely common exclamation (meaning anything on the spectrum of curse words from "Damn!" to worse), and in many countries, it can also mean "to party, "joke around with," or "kid" someone. 

 

Me revienta que me digas "te lo dije."

I hate it when you say "I told you so."

Caption 35, Muñeca Brava - 1 Piloto - Part 10

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Keep in mind that, as all these verbs are informal and could potentially be perceived as rude outside the company of friends, it is always safer to go with more neutral verbs like enojar, irritar, molestar, or enfadar to express the idea that something has "made you mad." In doing so, you will also avoid regionalisms that could cause confusion across different Spanish dialects. 

 

Context Is Always Key

Some words can mean either angry or, of all things, horny! As a misunderstanding in this realm could be embarrassing, always analyze the context. In Argentina, for instance, the very informal calentarse or estar caliente can have either meaning. 

 

Bueno, Llamita, pero eso tiene solución;

Well, Llamita, but that has a solution;

no te calentés.

don't get mad.

Captions 65-66, Yago - 14 La peruana

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The same thing happens across countries with the word arrecho. While arrecho means "angry" in Venezuela, in Colombia it can either mean "cool" or, once again, "horny." A bit confusing, right?

 

Yabla's video Curso de español - Expresiones de sentimientos elaborates on this and other expressions of emotion:

 

Entonces, "arrecho" en Venezuela significa enojado,

So, "arrecho" in Venezuela means mad,

pero en otros países significa otra cosa diferente

but in other countries it means different things

Captions 49-50, Curso de español - Expresiones de sentimientos

 Play Caption

 

The word arrecho is also used by the Colombian band ChocQuibTown, with its alternative meaning:

 

Y si sos chocoano, sos arrecho por cultura, ¡ey!

And if you are from Chocó, you are horny by culture, ay!

Caption 20, ChocQuibTown - Somos Pacifico

 Play Caption

 

That's all for now. We hope that you have found these alternative manners of talking about tiredness and anger useful (and that you don't need to use them too often)! And don't forget to send us your suggestions and comments