Subjunctive for Recommendations and Advice (Recomendar que, aconsejar que)

In today's lesson, we will focus on one of the most practical uses of the Present Subjunctive: giving recommendations and advice. In English, we often use phrases like 'I recommend that you...' or 'I advise you to...'. Spanish uses a specific grammatical structure for this, and understanding it is key to sounding more natural. 🎓

At the heart of this structure are two main verbs that act as 'subjunctive triggers':

➡️ Recomendar (to recommend)
➡️ Aconsejar (to advise)

When you use these verbs to influence the actions of another person, you signal the need for the subjunctive mood.

The fundamental structure you need to learn is:

[SUBJECT 1] + [recomendar/aconsejar] + QUE + [SUBJECT 2] + [VERB IN PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE]

The most critical element here is the change of subject. Subject 1 is the person giving the advice, and Subject 2 is the person receiving it. The word que is the bridge that connects these two different subjects and introduces the subjunctive clause.

Let's look at some examples with recomendar:

✅ Yo te recomiendo que pruebes la paella.
(I recommend that you try the paella.)

🔹 Subject 1: Yo (I)
🔹 Trigger: recomiendo que
🔹 Subject 2: tú (you)
🔹 Subjunctive Verb: pruebes (from the verb probar)

✅ El médico recomienda que nosotros bebamos más agua.
(The doctor recommends that we drink more water.)

🔹 Subject 1: El médico (The doctor)
🔹 Trigger: recomienda que
🔹 Subject 2: nosotros (we)
🔹 Subjunctive Verb: bebamos (from the verb beber)

Now, let's see it with aconsejar:

✅ Tus padres te aconsejan que estudies para el examen.
(Your parents advise you to study for the exam.)

✅ Les aconsejo que no salgan tarde por la noche.
(I advise them not to go out late at night.)

💡 Important Contrast: Subjunctive vs. Infinitive

What happens if there is NO change of subject? Or if the recommendation is general and not directed at anyone in particular? In these cases, you do not use the subjunctive. Instead, you use the infinitive form of the verb (-ar, -er, -ir).

Compare these situations:

• With a change of subject (Use Subjunctive):
  Te recomiendo que visites el museo del Prado.
  (I recommend that you visit the Prado museum.)

• Without a change of subject / General advice (Use Infinitive):
  Recomiendo visitar el museo del Prado.
  (I recommend visiting the Prado museum. - This is a general statement, not directed at you specifically).

This distinction is crucial. Using que + subjunctive is for influencing a specific person's actions, while the infinitive is for general suggestions.

Why the Subjunctive Mood?

Remember, the subjunctive mood deals with subjectivity, uncertainty, and influence. A recommendation is not a statement of fact; it's your personal opinion or suggestion aimed at influencing someone else's behavior. You are not declaring that they will try the paella, but rather expressing your desire that they should. This subjective nature is precisely what calls for the subjunctive mood.

To summarize:

1️⃣ Use recomendar que and aconsejar que to give advice to a specific person or group.
2️⃣ This structure requires a change of subject from the main clause to the subordinate clause.
3️⃣ The verb following que must be in the present subjunctive.
4️⃣ For general advice with no specific recipient, use the infinitive directly after recomendar or aconsejar (without que).