quan + Indicative/Subjunctive

Temporal Quan with Indicative or Subjunctive

Level 3

Temporal quan usually takes indicative for factual or habitual events and subjunctive for a future occasion.

How It Works

Quan arriba, truca describes a repeated fact: whenever she arrives, she calls. Quan arribi, truca'm looks ahead to an arrival that has not yet occurred. The subordinate verb uses subjunctive even though English may use an ordinary present form.

The main clause can express a future result, instruction or plan: quan arribi, soparem. Do not put a future indicative in the temporal clause merely because its meaning is future. Choose the subjunctive form that matches its subject.

Distinguish this temporal connector from interrogative quan. No sé quan arribarà asks when the arrival will happen and can take future indicative. The two clauses share the word quan but perform different jobs: one locates another event in time, and the other embeds a question about time.

Examples (3)

  1. Quan arriba a casa, truca a la seva mare.

    When she gets home, she calls her mother.

  2. Quan arribis, truca’m.

    When you arrive, call me.

  3. No sé quan arribarà.

    I do not know when she will arrive.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

quan + Indicative/SubjunctiveLevel 3Temporal Quan with Indicative or Subjunctive

Learn This First

Distinguish interrogative quan from a time-linking clause. Recognize a finite present-subjunctive clause.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern