Time, place and manner clauses with the subjunctive

What it is

At B1 you learned the cuando rule: a time clause about the future takes the present subjunctive (Cuando llegues, llámame), and one about habits or the past takes the indicative (Cuando llego / llegué…). This topic extends that rule to more time conjunctions (en cuanto, tan pronto como, apenas, una vez que, mientras) and to clauses of place and manner with donde, adonde, como and según. The idea is always the same: if the event is still pending or the choice is still open, Spanish uses the subjunctive.

How it works

The main clause tells you which one you need. A future, an imperative, ir a + infinitive or a present with future meaning goes with the subjunctive; a preterite, an imperfect or a present of habit goes with the indicative. Never put the future after these conjunctions: ✗ en cuanto llegaré.

In a past story about something that was still pending at the time, the subjunctive moves to the imperfect: Me dijo que me llamaría en cuanto llegara.

Mientras has two meanings. With the indicative it means "while" (two things happening at the same time). With the subjunctive it means "as long as" (a condition), or it refers to a future period: Mientras estés en Cartagena, visita las islas.

Place and manner. Donde (where), adonde (where to, with verbs of movement), como (how) and según (as, depending on how) take the subjunctive when the place or manner is still open ("wherever", "however") and the indicative when it is known:

When to use it

• Promises and plans: Apenas cobre, te pago lo que te debo. Una vez que terminemos la mudanza, hacemos una fiesta.
• Instructions: Tan pronto como suene la alarma, salgan por la escalera.
• Offers and invitations, where donde / como / cuando quieras works as a friendly formula: Ven cuando quieras. Pon las cosas donde te parezca mejor.
• Conditions over time: Mientras no llueva, el partido sigue.
• Telling what happened or what usually happens, with the indicative: Apenas llegó, se puso a trabajar. En cuanto llego a casa, me pongo cómodo.

• En cuanto llegue a casa, te mando las fotos.As soon as I get home, I'll send you the photos.pending → subjunctive
• Apenas sonó el timbre, todos salieron corriendo.As soon as the bell rang, everyone ran out.past → indicative
• Puedes sentarte donde quieras.You can sit wherever you like.open place
• Mientras no llueva, jugamos afuera.As long as it doesn't rain, we'll play outside.condition

Contrasts and traps

• llegue or llegué? One accent separates the pending event (en cuanto llegue, subjunctive) from the finished one (en cuanto llegué, preterite). Check the main verb.
• No future and no conditional after these conjunctions: ✗ tan pronto como sabré, ✗ me dijo que me llamaría en cuanto llegaría.
• Apenas has two meanings: "as soon as" (Apenas llegues, avísame) and "hardly, barely" (Apenas duermo). Context makes it clear.
• Donde or adonde? Adonde only with movement: Te llevo adonde quieras, but Estaciona donde quieras.
• Known or open? Lo hice como me dijiste (you told me a specific way) vs Hazlo como quieras (any way you like).
• Nada más + infinitive (Nada más llegar, me llamó) also means "as soon as"; it is especially common in Spain.

If you speak Portuguese

Portuguese uses the future subjunctive in all these clauses: assim que eu chegar, enquanto houver, onde você quiser, como você quiser. Spanish has no living future subjunctive, so use the present subjunctive (en cuanto llegue, mientras haya, donde quieras, como quieras), and remember that você becomes tú: quieras, not quiera. Watch the false friends too: assim que is en cuanto (Spanish así que means "so"), and Spanish desde que only means "since".