“Mood” refers to the way in which we express ourselves in a language. It reflects the speaker’s perspective or stance towards the action that is being carried out.

 

First of all, it is crucial to understand that a tense is not the same as a mood. Tenses refer to the time frame in which the action of a verb occurs－this could be in the present, past, or future. On the other hand, moods denote a manner of expression, an attitude reflected in the way a verb is used, not a specific moment in time. In Spanish, we have indicative, subjunctive and imperative moods. 

 

Let’s look at each one of them in more detail.

 

Indicative Mood

It is used to express assertion, facts and objective statements. It is employed to talk about actions, events and states that are believed to be true or factual. In Spanish, it can be used in all the tenses, including present, past, future, and conditional. Here are some examples:

 

Nosotros vivimos muy cerca del centro de la ciudad. – Presente de indicativo

(We live very close to the city center)

 

Ayer los niños estuvieron en el parque toda la tarde. – Pretérito indefinido

(Yesterday the children were at the park all afternoon)

 

Seguramente en el futuro trabajaremos menos horas. – Futuro 

(Surely in the future we will work fewer hours)

 

Me gustaría tomar unos días libres del trabajo para poder descansar. – Condicional 

(I would like to take a few days off work to be able to rest)

 

Despite the fact that some of the actions mentioned here in these examples may not have occurred, they are presented as objective, true, and/or factual. Pay attention to how words like “seguramente” (surely) and “me gustaría” (I would like to) convey the speaker’s objective intention or point of view.

 

Subjunctive Mood

It is used to convey wishes, doubts, desires, hopes, and possibilities. Basically, all things we do not have evidence about. When we are uncertain about something, when the information is not specific, verified or experienced, we turn into the subjunctive. Let’s look at some examples:

 

Cuando llegues a casa, toma dos aspirinas. – Presente de subjuntivo 

(When you get home, take two aspirins)

 

Nos encantaría que mi tía viniera mañana a la fiesta. – Pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo 

(We would love for our aunt to come to the party tomorrow)

 

Si lo hubiera sabido, no compraba toda esta comida. – Pretérito pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo

(If I had known, I would not have bought all this food)

 

Aunque no hayamos hecho mucho este fin de semana, tenemos que descansar. – Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo

(Even though we have not done much this weekend, we have to rest)

 

In the previous examples, pay attention to how different speakers express their wishes or desires, such as “Nos encantaría que…” (We would love…), as well as possibilities: “Cuando llegues a casa…” (When you get home…). In these instances, it is uncertain whether the desired outcome will be fulfilled or expected actions will, in fact, occur. Additionally, the subjunctive mood is used to refer to past events that could have happened differently, as seen in phrases like “Si lo hubiera sabido…” (If I had known…) and “Aunque no hayamos hecho mucho…” (Even though we have not done much).

 

Imperative Mood

It is used to give direct orders, instructions, ask a favor and give advice. Here are some examples:

In the previous examples, we can observe the different functions of the imperative mood. Firstly, it is used to give direct orders or commands, as seen in phrases like “Pon las cosas sobre la mesa…” (Put the things on the table…). Secondly, it is used to offer advice or warnings, as evidenced by “No vayas a la escuela…” (Do not go to school…) and “Estudien mucho…” (Study hard…). Additionally, the imperative mood can convey a friendly gesture or invitation, exemplified by “Siéntase como en su casa” (Make yourself at home), which welcomes someone warmly. 

 

In this lesson, we explored the three moods in Spanish: the indicative, subjunctive, and imperative. Understanding these is essential for effective communication in Spanish. Unlike English, Spanish verbs change their form depending on the mood. We offered a brief description of each mood and also looked at examples of each one. To learn a bit more, take a look at our lessons on “Introduction to Spanish Conjugations”, “Spanish Imperative” and “The Present Tense of the Subjunctive Mood”.

As you may already know, in Spanish we have two ways of addressing a person: using “tú” (informal) and using “usted” (formal).

In some countries in Hispanic America, people use the informal way of addressing others with the word “vos”, instead of “tú”. It is typically used with friends, family and people who are close to us.

 

Although many people associate “vos” with Argentina and sometimes Uruguay, the use of “vos” (or “voseo”) is actually extended throughout many countries and regions in Hispanic America, including Central America and Mexico, though to a lesser degree. Its use varies from region to region and in most countries it coexists with “tú”.

 

Keep in mind that when people use “vos”, they also conjugate verbs differently in the second person. 

 

Notice how regular ar, er and ir verbs are conjugated:

*Note: Remember, in Spanish the use of the subject pronoun (yo, tú / vos, él, ella, nosotros / nosotras, ustedes, ellos / ellas) is usually omitted. This is because the conjugation of the verb already indicates the subject in the sentence.

 

In this lesson, we explored the use of the Spanish pronoun “vos” and we provided an overview of the Spanish-speaking contexts where it is used. Additionally, we looked at its conjugation. If you are interested in further enhancing your Spanish language skills, we recommend exploring related topics such as “Tú vs Usted. The formal You in Spanish” or “Introduction to Spanish Conjugations”.

There are many irregular verbs in Spanish. The good news is that most only have one change in the “yo” form and others we can remember easily because they share similar patterns. There are only a handful of verbs that are completely irregular, fortunately.

*Some verbs like Ser and Estar you might already know from previous lessons, and if you don’t, check them out.

In this lesson, we break up irregular verbs into manageable chunks to learn.

Yo-go verbs

In this group, irregular verbs only have changes in their “yo” form and the change usually involves adding a single “g” behind the regular “o” conjugation ending. The rest of the conjugation endings are just like regular verbs.

*If you aren’t familiar with regular verb conjugations see this lesson on the Present Tense.

Below we have an example:

Here are other similar verbs:

*These verbs also have stem changes and their full conjugation tables are featured in our post on Stem-Changing Verbs.  Check it out now if you haven’t already.

The verb “oír” also has a stem change from “i” to “y” in addition to an added “g” in the “yo” form.  

Verbs ending CER and CIR  

 

Most verbs ending in CER and CIR add a “z” before the “c” in the “yo” form only.  Otherwise, these verbs are regular throughout the other forms.  Let’s look at an example:

Other similar verbs: 

Verbs that end in a consonant + CER or CIR just change the “c” to “z”.  Let’s look at an example.

Other similar verbs:

*The verb “mecer” ends in a vowel + cer, but follows the same pattern as “convencer” despite this. 

 

Verbs ending in GER and GIR 

 

These irregular verbs also only have a “yo” change.  In this case, these verbs change from “g” to “j” to preserve the soft G sound in Spanish.  Let’s look at an example:

Other similar verbs: 

*These verbs also have stem changes and their full conjugation tables are featured in our post on Stem-Changing Verbs.  Check it out now if you haven’t already. 

 

**Careful! The verb “coger” is only used in South America and Spain. In Mexico and Central America it is a swear word. Use the regular verbs “tomar” or “agarrar” instead. 

 

Verbs with unique “yo” forms 

 

In this group, all of these verbs have one thing in common, a unique change in the “yo” form.  Otherwise, they are conjugated like regular verbs.  Let’s see an example:

Other unique “yo” form verbs: 

The verb “ir” 

 

Here we have the verb “ir”, which follows a similar pattern in the “yo” form as “ser” (soy) and “estar” (estoy), but then takes the form of an -ar verb for the rest of the conjugation.

The verb “oler” 

 

The verb “oler” is unique because it has a special stem change (“o” to “hue”), but similar to all stem-changing verbs, “nosotros/nosotras” is not affected.

UIR verbs with a “y” change in the stem 

 

In this group, we have verbs ending in “UIR” (except those ending in “GUIR” like “seguir” and “distinguir”, which are yo-go verbs).  In this group, there is a stem change where the “i” changes to “y” in all persons except “nosotros/nosotras”.  

 

Let’s look at an example:

Other similar verbs:

IAR and UAR verbs have accents

 

In this final group, we have verbs ending in “IAR” and “UAR” that have accents added in all persons except “nosotros/nosotras”. Pretty easy, right? It’s as if they are regular verbs if it weren’t for this slight change. Let’s look at an example: 

Other similar verbs: 

Now that you’ve seen all of the groups of irregular verbs in Spanish, it’s time to practice what you’ve learned with two quizzes on irregular verbs below.

In this lesson, you’ve seen numerous irregular verbs.  While it might be overwhelming at first, we recommend picking out from each group of verbs, the most common ones you think you’d use day-to-day and memorize them.  Once you feel comfortable using a handful of irregulars, come back to this page and study it again.  Ready to learn more Spanish grammar? Check out our post on the Present Progressive Tense.  Want to review more verbs? See our posts on Stem-Changing Verbs and the 45 Most Common Verbs. 

Adjectives are essential components of language that are used to compare people, places, or things by expressing their qualities or characteristics.

Now, superlative adjectives are used for comparing people or things to a group, indicating the highest degree of a particular quality. Here are some examples:

Also, it is not always necessary to mention the group to which something or someone is compared:

Some superlative adjectives are irregular:

Sometimes, superlative adjectives express superiority:

 

el / la / los / las (+ nombre) + más + adjective (+ de)

 

El más bonito                          The prettiest

La más rápida                          The fastest

Los más interesantes            The most interesting

Las más pequeñas                 The smallest

 

In English, this can be translated as: 

 

the most + adjective: I think that it is the most expensive car I have ever seen.

article + adjective + -est: This building is the oldest.

 

Sometimes, inferiority:

 

el / la / los / las (+ nombre) + menos + adjective (+ de)

El menos cómodo                    The least comfortable

La menos luminosa                 The least bright

Los menos prácticos                The least practical

Las menos eficaces                  The least efficient

 

In English, this can be translated as: 

 

the least + adjective: These pants are the least dirty.

 

Adjectives in the superlative degree can be either relative or absolute.

 

Relative

They restrict a quality to a specific group of entities. They are formed with a definite article (el, la, los, las) + más/menos + adjective. Examples:

Absolute

They do not restrict a quality to a specific group of entities. They are formed by adding -ísimo or -ísima to the adjective. Examples:

 

Este libro es interesantísimo.    

(This book is extremely interesting)

 

interesante  →  interesantísimo

 

Trabajar en este proyecto ha sido dificilísimo. 

(Working on this project has been extremely difficult)

 

difícil  →  dificilísimo

 

Some are irregular:

Keep in mind that not all adjectives can be used in the superlative form. There are cases where adjectives do not admit degrees, meaning they cannot appear in comparative sentences either:

• Adjectives that express extreme qualities, like “precioso” (gorgeous), “delicioso” (delicious), “extraordinario” (extraordinary), “gigante” (gigantic), “pésimo” (awful), “excelente” (excellent), “horroroso” (dreadful):

Correct: Esta comida está excelente. (This food is excellent)

Incorrect: Esta comida está más excelente que la de ayer.

 

• Colors:

Correct: Su casa es blanca. (His / Her house is white)

Incorrect: Su casa es la más blanca o Su casa es blanquísima. 

 

• Numeral Adjectives 

Correct: Ésta es la cuarta vez que llamo a Mónica. 

(This is the fourth time I call Monica)

Incorrect: Esta es la vez más cuarta.

 

• Relational Adjectives:

Correct: Tenemos una reunión familiar. (We have a family reunion)

Incorrect: Esta reunión fue la más familiar de todas.

 

• Adverbial Adjectives: 

Correcto: Mi jefe tiene una solución posible. (My boss has a possible solution)

Incorrect: Esta solución es la más posible de todas.

Exercises / Ejercicios

Exercises / Ejercicios

In this lesson, you have explored the use of superlative adjectives in Spanish, which allow you to express the highest degree of a quality in comparison to a group. You have also learned about the formation of superlative adjectives, including irregular ones, examined examples, and learned about the importance of gender and number agreement. We suggest exploring our lessons on Comparative and Superlative Adjectives in Spanish and Spanish Articles and Agreement.

In Spanish, like in English, there are both regular and irregular verbs in most tenses. Regular verbs in the present tense are relatively straightforward to remember. It is important to note that in Spanish, verbs in their infinitive form (the pure, unconjugated form of the verb) fall into three categories: -ar, -er, and -ir.

Let’s examine their conjugation:

Here are some useful tips for remembering the conjugations of regular verbs:

 

• The conjugated verb in the first-person singular (“yo”) always ends in “o”.
• -er and -ir verbs are conjugated almost the same, except for “nosotros / nosotras” (we)

 

The verb “ver” (to see) is an exception only in the first person, as instead of saying “yo vo”, we say “yo veo”:

Spelling changes

It is important to note that in Spanish, there are some regular verbs in which the spelling changes. While these verbs are regular morphologically, they undergo spelling changes to ensure that the sound remains consistent, which would otherwise alter if we followed the standard pattern. Let’s look at them in more detail.

 

In some verbs ending in -er or -ir, the last consonant changes in the first-person singular:

Many verbs ending in -iar and -uar must have an accent on the letters “i” and “u” in the singular and in the third-person plural. This rule applies to all pronouns except “nosotros / nosotras” (we):

In verbs ending in -uir, a “y” should be added before the endings that do not begin with an “i”. Basically, all pronouns except “nosotros / nosotras” (we). For example:

Reflexive Verbs

The same principle applies to reflexive verbs, where the action of the verb is directed back onto the subject. As you may already know, reflexive verbs consist of two words since we always include the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, se, se). However, it is important to note that we conjugate the second part in the same way we would conjugate a regular verb. Nevertheless, they still follow the -ar, -er, or -ir verb pattern. Let’s look at some examples:

Another important point to remember is that when we have two verbs, we only conjugate the first verb:

If one of these verbs is reflexive, typically the second one, it does not function as a two-word verb as usual. Instead, the reflexive pronoun remains attached to the verb’s root. Let’s examine some examples to illustrate this:

Exercises / Ejercicios

Exercises / Ejercicios

In this lesson, we explored the present tense in Spanish. We provided a general overview of how regular verbs in the present tense are conjugated in Spanish and how some of them experience changes in the spelling. We also offered some examples and practical applications. If you would like to learn more about tenses and conjugations in Spanish we suggest exploring “Introduction to Spanish Conjugations” and “The Present Tense in Spanish”.

In Spanish, the conditional mood is used to express theoretical possibilities, wishes, advice, and polite requests, similar to the English use of “would”, “should”, and “could”. It is used for recommendations, suggestions, desires, or proposals regarding the present or future, as well as for hypothetical or improbable conditional statements. Let’s explore some examples:

When expressing wishes or preferences in Spanish it is common to use verbs such as “gustar” (to like), “encantar” (to love), and “preferir” (to prefer).