Modern Spanish Grammar: A Practical Guide

57.4 Expressing desires and preferences involving others

57.4.1 Querer/preferir que+ subjunctive

Desires and preferences involving others, for example ‘I want/wanted you to help me’,

‘I’d rather you came tomorrow’, are expressed in Spanish with a construction carrying a

subjunctive verb in the subordinate clause. Consider the following examples:

 18.1 (p. 83); 19.2 (p. 95)

Quiero que me ayudes.

I want you to help me.

Quería que me ayudaras/ayudases.

I wanted you to help me.

Prefiero que vengas mañana.

I’d rather you came tomorrow.

Preferiría que vinieras mañana.

I’d rather you came tomorrow.

Prefiero que no lo hagas.

I’d rather you didn’t do it.

Preferiría que no lo hicieras.

I’d rather you didn’t do it.

57.4.2 Me parece mejor que+ subjunctive, me gustaría que+ subjunctive

Preferences involving other people are sometimes expressed with parecer and gustar

(see 57.3.2 above), in a construction with que, followed by a clause containing a

subjunctive verb, in the following sequence of tenses:

 19.2 (p. 95)

Me parece mejor que lo termines hoy.

I think it’s best if you finish it today/I’d rather you finished it today.

Me gustaría que lo terminaras hoy.

I’d rather you finished it today.

 18.1.4 (p. 85); 70.1.8 (p. 392)

57.4.3 Es mejor que + present subjunctive, sería mejor que+ imperfect subjunctive

The first construction, used normally with the present subjunctive, is similar in

meaning to me parece mejor que... , as seen in 57.4.2. The second, usually found

with the imperfect subjunctive, may be used in the same context as me gustaría

que... Both expressions are common in the spoken and the written language.

Main clause Subordinate clause

Present Present subjunctive

Conditional Imperfect subjunctive

EXPRESSING DESIRES AND PREFERENCES 57.4