sexa / estea / teña
Irregular Present Subjunctives
Common verbs have irregular present subjunctives, such as sexa (ser), estea (estar), teña (ter), vaia (ir) and faga (facer), as in Non creo que sexa verdade (I do not think it is true).
How It Works
Built from the eu form:
• ter: teño → teña
• vir: veño → veña
• facer: fago → faga
• dicir: digo → diga
• pór or poñer: poño → poña
• ver: vexo → vexa
• traer: traio → traia
• saír: saio → saia
• oír: oio → oia
Their own stems:
• ser → sexa, sexas, sexa, sexamos, sexades, sexan
• estar → estea, esteas, estea, esteamos, esteades, estean
• ir → vaia, vaias, vaia, vaiamos, vaiades, vaian
• dar → dea, deas, dea, deamos, deades, dean
• saber → saiba, haber → haxa, poder → poida, querer → queira, caber → caiba
Watch out for Spanish look-alikes: Galician has vaia, not vaya; poida, not pueda; haxa, not haya.
Sexa and estea in speech: many speakers say sea for sexa, and in parts of Lugo and A Coruña you will also hear seña and esteña. The written standard is sexa and estea.
Haxa and hai: haxa is the subjunctive of impersonal hai: Oxalá haxa sitio (I hope there is room).
Same uses as regular verbs: these forms appear wherever the present subjunctive is needed: after querer que, oxalá and non creo que, and in formal commands such as Teña (Here you are).
Examples (6)
- Non creo que sexa verdade.
I don't think it is true.
Word by Word: Not believe-I that be true.
Sexa is the subjunctive of ser.
- Espero que esteas ben.
I hope you are well.
Word by Word: Hope-I that be-you well.
Esteas is the ti form of estar in the subjunctive.
- Oxalá haxa sitio no tren.
I hope there is room on the train.
Word by Word: Hopefully there-be room in-the train.
Haxa is the subjunctive of hai.
- Queren que vaiamos con eles.
They want us to go with them.
Word by Word: Want-they that go-we with them.
Vaiamos is the nós form of ir in the subjunctive.
- É mellor que o fagas hoxe.
It's better if you do it today.
Word by Word: Is better that it do-you today.
Fagas comes from the eu form fago.
- Cando poidas, chámame.
Call me when you can.
Word by Word: When can-you, call-me.
Poidas is the ti form of poder in the subjunctive.
Common Mistakes
Using the Spanish subjunctive of poder.
Non creo que pueda vir hoxe.Non creo que poida vir hoxe.The Galician subjunctive of poder is poida. Pueda is Spanish.
Building the subjunctive from the infinitive instead of the eu form.
Quero que me dicas a verdade.Quero que me digas a verdade.The subjunctive of dicir comes from the eu form digo: diga, digas.
Using the Spanish subjunctive of ir.
Queren que vayamos con eles.Queren que vaiamos con eles.Ir has vaia, vaias, vaiamos in Galician, spelled with i.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Irregular present subjunctives use special stems or forms.
Related Patterns
- querer que + SubjunctiveWanting Someone to Do Something
A common place to use these forms: Quero que veñas.
Level 3 - oxalá + SubjunctiveWishes with Oxalá
Wishes with oxalá often use these verbs: Oxalá teñas sorte.
Level 3 - non creo que + SubjunctiveSubjunctive After Doubt and Denial
Denials often use sexa: Non creo que sexa así.
Level 3 - Commands With vostedeFormal Commands with Vostede
Formal commands use subjunctive forms such as teña and veña.
Level 2 - The Imperfect Subjunctive
The past subjunctive of the same verbs: fose, estivese, tivese.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
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