Using the Subjunctive Adjective Clauses

Adjective clauses, remember, describe a noun: I know the man who lives here. Which man? The one who lives here. In Spanish, most adjective clauses begin with “que” or “quien.” Here, we’re just going to deal with clauses that start with “que.”

If the thing or person definitely exists, you use the subjunctive after the “que”: I know the man who lives here. If I know him, he obviously exists. I’m looking for a man who has 10 million dollars. Just looking at the sentence, you can’t tell if such a man exists. In this sentence, I haven’t found one, so he may or may not exist. You can’t look at the sentence and then think of all the men you know or have heard of who have 10 million dollars. You have to look just at the sentence and see if, according to the sentence, the man definitely exists.

If the thing being described may not exist, you use subjunctive after the “que”: I’m looking for a man who has 10 million dollars. Busco un hombre que tenga 10 millones de dólares. I need a man who has 10 million dollars. Necesito un hombre que tenga 10 millones de dólares. I want a man who has 10 million dollars. Quiero un hombre que tenga 10 millones de dólares. But consider these sentences: I’m looking for the man who has 10 million dollars. Busco al hombre que tiene 10 millones de dólares. I need the man who has 10 million dollars. Necesito al hombre que tiene 10 millones de dólares. I want the man who has 10 million dollars. Quiero al hombre que tiene 10 millones de dólares. If I look for/want/need, etc., THE man, then that man must exist, and I use the indicative, not the subjunctive.

Incidentally, the reason you have Necesito al hombre que tiene 10 millones de dólares. is that you need the personal “a”—the “a” that you put before a person that serves as the direct object. The reason you DON’T have “a” in Necesito un hombre que tenga 10 millones de dólares. is that you don’t have to have the personal “a” if the person you’re describing may not exist.

If you’re describing something that definitely doesn’t exist, you use the subjunctive after “que”: I don’t know anyone who works a lot. No conozco a nadie que trabaje mucho. He doesn’t have any friend who can help him. No tiene ningún amigo que lo pueda ayudar.

Summary If you’re describing something that exists, you use the INDICATIVE after “que.” If you’re describing something that doesn’t exist or something that may or may not exist, you use the SUBJUNCTIVE after “que.”

Click here to go to a brief practice exercise.here