Indicative vs subjunctive after aunque, como and siempre que

Aunque llueva, saldremos.Aunque llueve, saldremos.Even if it rains, we'll go out.Although it's raining, we'll go out.

A handful of conjunctions can take either mood, and the choice changes the meaning. With the indicative, the speaker presents the clause as a fact. With the subjunctive, it is hypothetical, not yet real, or beside the point. This article looks at three of them, aunque, como and siempre que, and at a few conditions that always take the subjunctive.

Quick shortcut: indicative = a real fact (aunque llueve, "although it's raining"; como llovía, "since it was raining"; siempre que viene, "whenever he comes"). Subjunctive = a hypothesis, a condition or a point that doesn't matter (aunque llueva, "even if it rains"; como no vengas, "if you don't come"; siempre que vengas, "provided that you come").

Aunque: fact or hypothesis

For the basic meaning of aunque, see linkers of contrast. The mood decides how the concession is presented:

• Aunque hace frío, vamos a la playa. (Although it's cold, we're going to the beach.) The cold is a fact, and the speaker mentions it as a known obstacle.
• Aunque haga frío, iremos a la playa. (Even if it's cold, we'll go to the beach.) The weather is not known yet. Whatever it turns out to be, the plan stays.

The subjunctive also covers a point the speaker treats as irrelevant to the argument, whether or not it is true:

• Aunque sea difícil, hay que intentarlo. (Even if it is difficult, we have to try.)

In the past, the same contrast uses the imperfect. The indicative describes what really happened, and the imperfect subjunctive describes a hypothesis:

• Aunque llovía, salimos. (Although it was raining, we went out.)
• Aunque tuviera dinero, no lo compraría. (Even if I had the money, I wouldn't buy it.)

Como: because or if

Como has two quite different uses, and the mood tells them apart:

• With the indicative, como at the start of a sentence means "since" or "because": Como llovía, nos quedamos en casa. (Since it was raining, we stayed home.)
• With the subjunctive, it means "if" and often carries a warning or threat: Como no estudies, suspenderás. (If you don't study, you'll fail.)

In this "if" use the verb is usually negative or points to something undesirable, and the clause normally comes first. A related use is como meaning "however, in whatever way," always with the subjunctive: Hazlo como prefieras. (Do it however you prefer.)

Siempre que: whenever or provided that

Siempre que means "whenever" with the indicative, and "provided that" with the subjunctive:

• Siempre que viene, trae flores. (Whenever she comes, she brings flowers.) A repeated, real habit.
• Te lo presto siempre que lo cuides. (I'll lend it to you provided that you take care of it.) A condition, not yet met.

Conditions that always take the subjunctive

Some conjunctions that set a condition do not alternate at all, since the condition is by nature not yet real:

• a menos que: Iremos, a menos que llueva. (We'll go unless it rains.)
• con tal de que: Te ayudo con tal de que me avises. (I'll help you as long as you let me know.)
• siempre y cuando: Puedes ir siempre y cuando vuelvas pronto. (You can go as long as you come back early.)

These sit alongside antes de que and para que, which are in the subjunctive after para que. When the main verb is in the past or the conditional, these clauses move to the imperfect subjunctive: Dijo que vendría con tal de que lo avisáramos. See the imperfect subjunctive.

Common mistakes

• ❌ Iremos a menos que llueve. → ✅ Iremos a menos que llueva. (a menos que always takes the subjunctive.)
• ❌ Saldremos aunque lloverá. → ✅ Saldremos aunque llueva. (a hypothetical future concession uses the present subjunctive, not the future.)
• ❌ Te ayudo con tal de que me avisas. → ✅ Te ayudo con tal de que me avises. (con tal de que always takes the subjunctive.)

Quick check

1. Complete: Aunque ___ (estar) cansado, fue a trabajar. (he was in fact tired)
2. Complete: Aunque ___ (ser) rico, no sería feliz. (hypothetical)
3. Which means "If you don't hurry, you'll miss the train": Como no te das prisa or Como no te des prisa?
4. Complete: Siempre que ___ (ir) al mercado, compro fruta. (a habit)
5. Complete: Puedes quedarte siempre y cuando ___ (hacer) menos ruido.

Key takeaways

• With the indicative, aunque concedes a real fact. With the subjunctive, it concedes a hypothesis or a point that doesn't matter.
• Como + indicative means "since, because". Como + subjunctive means "if", often as a warning.
• Siempre que + indicative means "whenever". Siempre que + subjunctive means "provided that".
• A menos que, con tal de que and siempre y cuando always take the subjunctive.
• After a past or conditional main verb, the imperfect subjunctive replaces the present one.