The Spanish Future Subjunctive (Futuro de Subjuntivo) is a rare and somewhat archaic verb mood in modern Spanish. While not commonly used in everyday conversation, it still holds a place in certain contexts, such as legal documents, literature, and specific expressions.
How to Form the Future Subjunctive
Creating the Future Subjunctive involves two main steps:
- Base: Start with the third-person plural form of the preterite tense (the simple past).
- Add New Endings: Remove the “-ron” ending and add new endings depending on the subject (yo, tú, él/ella, etc.).
Regular and Irregular Verbs
Let’s look at some examples of how to conjugate the Future Subjunctive:
Regular Verb: Hablar (to speak)
- Yo hablare
- Tú hablares
- Él/ella/usted hablare
- Nosotros/nosotras habláremos
- Ellos/ellas/ustedes hablaren
Irregular Verb: Tener (to have)
- Yo tuviere
- Tú tuvieres
- Él/ella/usted tuviere
- Nosotros/nosotras tuviéremos
- Ellos/ellas/ustedes tuvieren
Where You Might Encounter the Future Subjunctive
While not used in everyday speech, you might still come across the Future Subjunctive in:
- Legal Documents: Phrases like “Si el acusado cometiere el delito…” (If the accused were to commit the crime…)
- Literature: Expressions like “Cuando viniere el día…” (When the day should come…)
- Fixed Expressions: Common sayings like “Sea lo que fuere…” (Whatever it may be…)
Modern Alternatives
In contemporary Spanish, the Future Subjunctive has been largely replaced by:
- Present Subjunctive: For expressing uncertainty or possibility in the future.
- Future Indicative: For stating future actions more directly.
Focus on the Essentials
While understanding the Future Subjunctive can be interesting from a historical and linguistic perspective, for most learners, it’s more beneficial to focus on mastering the more commonly used Present Subjunctive and Future Indicative. These tenses will serve you well in everyday communication and modern Spanish usage.
Synonyms:
- English: Simple Future Subjunctive, Hypothetical Future
- Spanish: Futuro Simple De Subjuntivo, Futuro Imperfecto De Subjuntivo