sea lo que fuere/venga lo que viniere
Future Subjunctive in Fixed Phrases
Sea lo que fuere and venga lo que viniere retain the future subjunctive. Everyday alternatives include sea lo que sea and venga lo que venga.
How It Works
The Future Subjunctive (Futuro de Subjuntivo) is a historical tense that has almost completely fallen out of use in modern spoken Spanish. Its use is now confined almost exclusively to legal documents, classical literature, and a handful of idiomatic expressions.
The most common of these expressions follow a specific formula: [Verb in Present Subjunctive] + lo que + [Same Verb in Future Subjunctive].
This structure creates a concessive clause, meaning it acknowledges a potential situation but declares it irrelevant to the main point. It's a very emphatic way of saying 'no matter what...' or 'regardless of...'.
Common examples include:
- Sea lo que fuere: Literally 'be it what it may be', meaning 'whatever it may be'. The form does not itself mean a past situation.
- Venga lo que viniere: 'Come what may'.
- Pase lo que pasare: 'Whatever happens'.
- Diga lo que dijere: 'Whatever he/she may say'.
Another famous proverb that preserves this tense is 'Donde fueres, haz lo que vieres', which means 'Wherever you may go, do what you may see'—the equivalent of 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do'.
For ordinary conversation, sea lo que sea, venga lo que venga and pase lo que pase usually convey the same open concession. Future-subjunctive forms also survive in legal and formulaic language; they are not the normal way to describe every future possibility.
Examples (5)
- Sea lo que fuere, tenemos que seguir adelante con el plan.
Whatever it may be, we have to move forward with the plan.
Word by Word: Be it what it may be, we have to continue forward with the plan.
- Venga lo que viniere, siempre estaré a tu lado para apoyarte.
Come what may, I will always be by your side to support you.
Word by Word: Come what may come, always I will be at your side to support you.
- Pase lo que pasare, no cambiaré de opinión sobre este asunto.
Whatever happens, I will not change my opinion on this matter.
Word by Word: Happen what may happen, I will not change of opinion about this matter.
- Diga lo que dijere el crítico, la película es una obra maestra.
Whatever the critic says, the movie is a masterpiece.
Word by Word: Say what the critic may say, the movie is a masterpiece.
- El refrán dice: «Donde fueres, haz lo que vieres».
The saying goes: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
Word by Word: The proverb says: «Where you may go, do what you may see».
Common Mistakes
Using the future indicative instead of the subjunctive in these fixed phrases.
Venga lo que vendrá, estaré contigo.Venga lo que viniere, estaré contigo.Both 'venga lo que venga' (the everyday version, with the present subjunctive twice) and 'venga lo que viniere' (the literary version, with the archaic future subjunctive) are correct and mean 'come what may'. The real mistake is using the future indicative — 'venga lo que vendrá' is wrong.
How It Connects
Learn This First
This pattern consists of fixed idiomatic expressions that combine the present subjunctive with the now-archaic future subjunctive. To understand these phrases, a learner needs to recognize the 'lo que' relative construction and the specific conjugation forms of the future subjunctive (fuere, viniere) which are preserved in these set phrases.
- -are/-ares/-are/-áremos/-areis/-arenFuture Subjunctive -AR
The pattern uses the archaic future subjunctive forms of verbs like 'ser' (fuere) and 'venir' (viniere).
Level 6 - lo queLo Que Construction
The relative construction 'lo que' is the central connector in these fixed expressions, linking the present and future subjunctive forms.
Level 3
Related Patterns
- -iere/-ieres/-iere/-iéremos/-iereis/-ierenFuture Subjunctive -ER/-IR
This is the conjugation pattern for regular -ER and -IR verbs in the future subjunctive. Note that many verbs in these fixed phrases, such as 'ser' (fuere), 'venir' (viniere), and 'decir' (dijere), are irregular and use a different stem.
Level 6 - donde fueres haz lo que vieresProverbs with Future Subjunctive
This is another famous proverb that preserves the future subjunctive. It means 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do' and is a prime example of this tense's survival in set phrases.
Level 6 - por más/mucho que + SubjunctiveConcessive Clauses
This is a common, modern way to express a similar concessive idea ('no matter how much...'). It's a functional equivalent for conveying that an obstacle is irrelevant, much like 'diga lo que dijere'.
Level 4 - cualquiera que + SubjunctiveWhatever/Whoever
This structure is a modern alternative for expressing 'whatever' or 'whoever'. For instance, 'Cualquiera que sea el problema' ('Whatever the problem may be') conveys a similar idea to 'sea lo que fuere' but using the present subjunctive.
Level 4
Practice sea lo que fuere/venga lo que viniere in Bubblegum
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