Clause Master
Link purpose, timing and conditions with the right mood — and say it out loud.
Some Spanish conjunctions always take the subjunctive: para que, antes de que, sin que, a menos que — Te lo explico para que entiendas, Vámonos antes de que llueva. Others are chameleons: cuando, hasta que and en cuanto take subjunctive for a future event (Cuando llegue a casa, te llamo) but indicative for a past or habitual one (Cuando llegaba a casa, siempre cenaba). The rule of thumb: hasn't happened yet or uncertain = subjunctive; fact or habit = indicative. One more switch worth knowing — aunque llueva means even if, aunque llueve means even though.
Below: the conjunctions sorted by rule, what locals actually say, the traps that flip your meaning — and how you make it automatic by talking, not by filling in blanks.
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Regional Spanish
Textbooks teach one word. Locals use several — pick your region's and stay consistent.
| English | Mexico | Argentina |
|---|---|---|
| as soon as | apenas | ni bien |
| car | el carro | el auto |
| so that (fast casual speech) | pa' que | para que |
Watch out
The part no drill site can do
Carla
Your grammar teacher for this pack
No worksheets, no clause-completion exercises — in the Clause Master lessons you build these sentences out loud while Carla listens. She runs the aunque flip with you: aunque llueve (it IS raining) versus aunque llueva (it might) — same verb, you say one of each. Then she asks about your week, and you catch yourself needing cuando llegue, not cuando llego, mid-sentence — which is exactly where this grammar actually lives.
Blank mid-sentence and nothing bad happens — she waits. That's the practice, without unnecessary judgement.
Finish the 6 lessons and Clause Master is yours — earned, not given.
First 10 lessons free · 10-minute spoken lessons · your AI coaching team remembers you
Quick answers
Yes — always, in any tense: Te lo explico para que entiendas. The exception is when both verbs share a subject: then drop que and use the infinitive — Estudio para aprender, but Te ayudo para que aprendas.
When it points at the future: Cuando llegue a casa, te llamo. For past events or habits it takes the indicative: Cuando llegaba a casa, siempre cenaba. The same rule covers hasta que, en cuanto and tan pronto como.
Aunque llueva, iremos a la playa = even if it rains (uncertain). Aunque llueve, vamos a la playa = even though it's raining (known fact). The mood is what carries the meaning.
Yes — antes de que always triggers the subjunctive, whatever the tense: Vámonos antes de que llueva now, Salí antes de que empezara la tormenta in the past.
A menos que + subjunctive: Iré a menos que llueva. In everyday Latin American speech you'll also hear salvo que — Voy, salvo que llueva — which works the same way. Related: con tal de que (provided that) and en caso de que (in case): Lleva paraguas en caso de que llueva.
