Spanish 3 / Unit 4: The Subjunctive in Adjective and Adverb Clauses
4.1 Adjective Clauses: Known or Unknown?
Notes
An adjective clause describes a noun (the antecedent) and begins with que. If the antecedent is real and known, use the indicative. If it is unknown, indefinite or may not exist, use the subjunctive.
| Indicative (known) | Subjunctive (unknown) |
|---|---|
| Tengo un amigo que habla chino. | Busco un amigo que hable chino. |
| Hay un restaurante que sirve comida vegana. | Necesito un restaurante que sirva comida vegana. |
| Conozco a alguien que sabe la respuesta. | Quiero encontrar a alguien que sepa la respuesta. |
- Verbs that often signal an unknown antecedent: buscar, necesitar, querer, preferir, desear.
- Use the personal a with a known person but not with an unknown one: Busco a mi profesor. / Busco un profesor que me ayude.
Practice
Busco un restaurante que ___ (servir) comida vegetariana.
The restaurant is not known to exist yet, so the subjunctive is used. Servir changes e → i: sirva.
Tengo una amiga que ___ (hablar) cuatro idiomas.
The friend is real and known, so the indicative is used.
Necesitamos un coche que no ___ (costar) mucho.
The car is not yet identified, so the subjunctive appears. Costar changes o → ue: cueste.
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