For my fellow native English speakers - The English subjunctive always drops the S in the 3rd person: "He rides his bike on the pavement" (the verb has an S - it's the present indicative in English); "How dare he ride his bike on the pavement!" (English present subjunctive *{no S}* ). We English speakers INCORRECTLY use the simple past to convey the past subjunctive - example: _If I won the lottery, I would buy a new car._ But although this "sounds right" it's actually incorrect. Rewritten as *Were I to win the lottery, I would buy a new car* which in fact can also replace 'would' with 'might' is correct. "Were I to win the lottery, I might buy a new car." Once you get your head around what we don't do correctly in English, the subjunctive is easy. It's a beautiful part of Spanish and a fantastic way to say "maybe"!
¡Hola! Despite the fact that the present subjunctive is normally translated into English as a future tense, the sentence "Perhaps they will arrive a bit" in Spanish uses the present subjunctive. That's why it's lleguen. Alternatively, the present indicative (normal present) can be used too, "Quizás llegan tarde" if we are more certain they will be late. If we are more doubtful, the present subjunctive will be used. The future subjunctive "llegaren" is correct but does not work in this sentence. The future subjunctive has become a bit out of use and it is rarely used in everyday Spanish. However, it's still used in some set phrases, such as "sea lo que FUERE" (meaning anyway) and in law/legal documents given its very formal register.
@@stupedaso4290 Although it still exists is Spanish, their "future subjunctive" isn't actually used anymore (extremely rarely)... but there is a way to 'cheat' with an English thinking brain which then has to think less!!! If you conjugate the verb *ir* in the present subjunctive & add "a" plus an infinitive verb you get how 'we' (English speakers) think of the future "I don't know if he will come" == "I don't know if he's going to come" = "No sé si (él) vaya a venir"; "Perhaps they will arrive late" == "Perhaps they are going to arrive late" = "Quizás vayan a llegar más tarde" FWIW *ir* _in the subjunctive_ + *a* + 'infinitive verb gives the future; and *haber* _in the subjunctive_ + 'past participle' can get you to the perfect subjunctive past. Learn these 2 verbs (in their subjunctive) off by heart: *vaya, vayas, vaya, vayamos, vayáis, vayan* & *haya, hayas, haya, hayamos, hayáis, hayan* You will need the "perfect subjunctive past" if talking about the past from the present. You'll note that the only difference between the 2 are the letters V or H at each _person's_ start. Example: I hope you go to the supermarket, (both in present) we have no milk - Espero que vayas al supermercado, no tenemos leche; I hoped you went to the supermarket (both in past), we have no milk - Esperaba (or esperé) que fueras al supermercado, no tenemos leche; I hope you went to the supermarket, (present 'trigger' about a past action) we have no milk - Espero que hayas ido al supermercado, no tenemos leche. In this 3rd example of the same sentence, because I am (in the present) hoping about something you _might_ have done in the past, I have to use the subjunctive form of *haber* in the "have past" and am actually word for word saying "I hope that you have gone to the supermarket." And finally "Espero que vayas a ir al supermercado, no tenemos leche" - I hope you will go (are going to go) to the supermarket, we have no milk.
For my fellow native English speakers - The English subjunctive always drops the S in the 3rd person: "He rides his bike on the pavement" (the verb has an S - it's the present indicative in English); "How dare he ride his bike on the pavement!" (English present subjunctive *{no S}* ). We English speakers INCORRECTLY use the simple past to convey the past subjunctive - example: _If I won the lottery, I would buy a new car._ But although this "sounds right" it's actually incorrect. Rewritten as *Were I to win the lottery, I would buy a new car* which in fact can also replace 'would' with 'might' is correct. "Were I to win the lottery, I might buy a new car." Once you get your head around what we don't do correctly in English, the subjunctive is easy. It's a beautiful part of Spanish and a fantastic way to say "maybe"!
One quick question: why is it "lleguen" and not "llegaren"? My Ella Verbs app shows Subjunctive Future is "llegaren".
¡Hola! Despite the fact that the present subjunctive is normally translated into English as a future tense, the sentence "Perhaps they will arrive a bit" in Spanish uses the present subjunctive. That's why it's lleguen. Alternatively, the present indicative (normal present) can be used too, "Quizás llegan tarde" if we are more certain they will be late. If we are more doubtful, the present subjunctive will be used.
The future subjunctive "llegaren" is correct but does not work in this sentence. The future subjunctive has become a bit out of use and it is rarely used in everyday Spanish. However, it's still used in some set phrases, such as "sea lo que FUERE" (meaning anyway) and in law/legal documents given its very formal register.
@@coffeebreakspanish thank you for the explanation!!
@@stupedaso4290 Although it still exists is Spanish, their "future subjunctive" isn't actually used anymore (extremely rarely)... but there is a way to 'cheat' with an English thinking brain which then has to think less!!! If you conjugate the verb *ir* in the present subjunctive & add "a" plus an infinitive verb you get how 'we' (English speakers) think of the future "I don't know if he will come" == "I don't know if he's going to come" = "No sé si (él) vaya a venir"; "Perhaps they will arrive late" == "Perhaps they are going to arrive late" = "Quizás vayan a llegar más tarde"
FWIW *ir* _in the subjunctive_ + *a* + 'infinitive verb gives the future; and *haber* _in the subjunctive_ + 'past participle' can get you to the perfect subjunctive past. Learn these 2 verbs (in their subjunctive) off by heart: *vaya, vayas, vaya, vayamos, vayáis, vayan* & *haya, hayas, haya, hayamos, hayáis, hayan* You will need the "perfect subjunctive past" if talking about the past from the present. You'll note that the only difference between the 2 are the letters V or H at each _person's_ start.
Example: I hope you go to the supermarket, (both in present) we have no milk - Espero que vayas al supermercado, no tenemos leche; I hoped you went to the supermarket (both in past), we have no milk - Esperaba (or esperé) que fueras al supermercado, no tenemos leche; I hope you went to the supermarket, (present 'trigger' about a past action) we have no milk - Espero que hayas ido al supermercado, no tenemos leche. In this 3rd example of the same sentence, because I am (in the present) hoping about something you _might_ have done in the past, I have to use the subjunctive form of *haber* in the "have past" and am actually word for word saying "I hope that you have gone to the supermarket." And finally "Espero que vayas a ir al supermercado, no tenemos leche" - I hope you will go (are going to go) to the supermarket, we have no milk.
Lleguen