siempre que + Indicative/Subjunctive

Whenever/Provided That

Level 4

Use siempre que + indicative for 'whenever' (a repeated, factual event). Use siempre que + subjunctive for 'provided that' or 'as long as' (a condition).

How It Works

The phrase siempre que is a versatile conjunction whose meaning depends entirely on whether it's followed by a verb in the indicative or the subjunctive mood.

1. Siempre que + Indicative = "Whenever"
When followed by the indicative, siempre que means "whenever" or "every time that". It describes actions that are habitual, repeated, or factual. The action in the siempre que clause is a reliable trigger for the action in the main clause.

  • Present Habit: Siempre que voy al centro, paso por tu casa. (Whenever I go downtown, I pass by your house.)
  • Past Habit: Siempre que llovía, leíamos un libro. (Whenever it rained, we would read a book.)

In this sense, it is often interchangeable with cada vez que.

2. Siempre que + Subjunctive = "Provided that" / "As long as"
When followed by the subjunctive, siempre que introduces a condition or prerequisite that must be met for the main clause to be true. It means "provided that," "as long as," or "on the condition that."

  • Condition: Puedes tomar mi coche siempre que tengas cuidado. (You can take my car provided that you are careful.)
  • Future Condition: Iremos a la playa el sábado siempre que no llueva. (We will go to the beach on Saturday as long as it doesn't rain.)

This usage is similar to other conditional conjunctions like con tal de que.

Examples (4)

  1. Siempre que viajo, saco muchas fotos.

    Whenever I travel, I take a lot of photos.

    Word by Word: Always that I travel, I take many photos.

    Here, viajo is in the indicative mood because it describes a habitual, repeated action. It means 'every time I travel'.

  2. Puedes salir con tus amigos siempre que termines tu tarea primero.

    You can go out with your friends provided that you finish your homework first.

    Word by Word: You can go out with your friends always that you finish your homework first.

    Termines is in the subjunctive because it sets a condition that must be met before you can go out.

  3. Siempre que mi abuela venía a visitarnos, traía galletas.

    Whenever my grandmother came to visit us, she would bring cookies.

    Word by Word: Always that my grandmother came to visit us, she brought cookies.

    The imperfect indicative venía is used to describe a repeated, habitual action in the past.

  4. Te prestaré el libro siempre que me lo devuelvas la próxima semana.

    I will lend you the book as long as you return it to me next week.

    Word by Word: To you I will lend the book always that to me it you return the next week.

    The subjunctive devuelvas is used because returning the book is a condition for lending it. The action is in the future and not yet a fact.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the subjunctive for habitual actions.

    Siempre que vaya a la ciudad, visito a mi tía.
    Siempre que voy a la ciudad, visito a mi tía.

    When 'siempre que' means 'whenever' and describes a factual, repeated event, you must use the indicative mood. The subjunctive (vaya) would incorrectly imply it's a condition ('provided that I go to the city...'), which doesn't fit the context of visiting the aunt.

  • Using the indicative when you mean 'as long as'.

    Different MeaningTe ayudo siempre que me pagas.
    Te ayudo siempre que me pagues.

    'Te ayudo siempre que me pagas' is correct and means 'I help you whenever you pay me'. To set a condition for future help ('as long as'), use the subjunctive: 'siempre que me pagues'.

How It Connects

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

siempre que + Indicative/SubjunctiveLevel 4Whenever/Provided That

Learn This First

To learn 'siempre que', a learner needs to understand the dual nature of certain Spanish conjunctions. When the action is a habitual fact, the indicative is used; when it is a condition or a future possibility, the subjunctive is required. Therefore, proficiency in both mood conjugations and the logic of mood selection is essential.

Words in This Pattern

siempre que