what is it?
In Spanish, verbs and expressions of opinion or assertion — such as creer, es verdad que, or decir — take the indicative in their subordinate clause when used affirmatively, because the speaker presents the content as real or certain. When the main clause is negated, however, that certainty is withdrawn, and the subordinate clause must shift to the subjunctive. Negation signals that the speaker is denying, doubting, or rejecting the truth of the embedded proposition, which is precisely the semantic territory of the subjunctive mood.
when to use it
The subjunctive is required in the subordinate clause whenever the main clause contains one of the following negated structures.
Negated verbs of opinion: no creer que, no pensar que, no considerar que. The affirmative forms of these verbs take the indicative; negating them requires the subjunctive.
Negated impersonal assertions: no es verdad que, no es cierto que, no es evidente que. These expressions deny that something is a fact, so the subjunctive is obligatory.
Negated verbs of saying used as assertions: no decir que when the meaning is a denial rather than a report. When decir is negated to deny that something was asserted, the subordinate clause takes the subjunctive (typically the past subjunctive for past contexts).
Tense agreement: The tense of the subjunctive follows the standard sequence-of-tenses rules. A present or future main verb triggers the present subjunctive; a past main verb triggers the imperfect subjunctive.
formation
The structure is straightforward: negated main verb + que + subordinate verb in subjunctive. The subjunctive form to use depends on the tense of the main clause.
| main clause (negated) | subordinate mood & tense | example subordinate form |
|---|---|---|
| no creo que | present subjunctive | tenga, haya, venga |
| no creía que | imperfect subjunctive | tuviera, hubiera, viniera |
| no es verdad que | present subjunctive | hayan, sea, pueda |
| no era verdad que | imperfect subjunctive | hubieran, fuera, pudiera |
| no me dijo que | imperfect subjunctive | hubiera venido, supiera, fuera |
The imperfect subjunctive forms above use the -ra ending, which is the more common variant in most of the Spanish-speaking world. The -se ending (e.g. tuviese) is equally correct and interchangeable.
examples in context
common pitfalls
Keeping the indicative after «no creo que» by analogy with the affirmative.
Because creo que tiene razón uses the indicative, learners often write *no creo que tiene razón by direct analogy. This is incorrect. Negation changes the epistemic status of the clause, making the subjunctive obligatory: no creo que tenga razón.
Treating «no es cierto/verdad que» as a plain factual statement.
Some learners interpret no es verdad que as simply describing a false fact and reach for the indicative: *no es verdad que han aprobado la ley. The correct form is no es verdad que hayan aprobado la ley. These expressions are categorical denials, not descriptions, and always govern the subjunctive.
Using the indicative when relaying a negated past assertion.
When decir is negated to deny that something was said, the subordinate clause requires the imperfect subjunctive. Writing *no me dijo que había venido treats the clause as reported speech (which would use the indicative), rather than as a denial. The correct form is no me dijo que hubiera venido.
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
No es verdad que yo ___ con ese trabajo — nunca lo solicité. (soñar)
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.