Subjunctive Triggers

You don't choose the subjunctive — the sentence chooses it for you. A trigger word or phrase in the first half forces the second half into the subjunctive. Learn the families, not the individual verbs.

Family	Examples	Triggers subjunctive when…
Wish / will	querer que, esperar que, desejar que	…the subject of the wish differs from the doer
Doubt	duvidar que, não acreditar que, não achar que	…the speaker is uncertain
Emotion	gostar que, sentir que, ter medo que	…the emotion is about someone else's action
Impersonal opinion	é importante que, é bom que, é melhor que	…an opinion is offered about an action
Maybe / perhaps	talvez, é possível que, pode ser que	…possibility is being expressed

The key test: if there's a que + a new subject after one of these, switch to subjunctive.

Match the trigger to the family

Identify whether the verb in brackets stays indicative or flips to subjunctive

Cloze: spot the trigger

Translate the triggers