My goal in Spanish is to be able to speak fluently, but however, I spoke to my Spanish friend about this. Is it really necessary with all the subjunctives? I feel like when learning a language, it´s essential to listen to everyday speakers and their use of it, and not completely dig your head in advanced grammar. I guess my question to Spanish speakers is: Is it really necessary to completely learn the subjunctive to be fluently?
Yes, it is unfortunately an integral part of Spanish. I would say one should at least know the presens and past tense subjunctive, there might be some subjuntive forms that are more obscure then others. I think the best way to get your head around the subjunctive is to learn phrases that trigger the subjunctive here are a couple of videos on that matter.
Spanish with Professor Jason
Lighting speed
These two channels and their videos on the subjunctive helped me quite a lot, reading from the comments they have also been helpful for a lot of people.
thank you a lot, but would you then recommend me to learn the forms right away? both in present and past, or simply just see it in content. I´ve thought about going to a Spanish verb conjugation site and plot into lingQ all the verbs is subjunctive, but what do you think. Will this be a great way or simply just listen/read it in content?
I think it is best to start with the present subjunctive as it is the more used one (in my experience at least).
The way I used to do it was to watch the videos every once in a while and afterwards be on the look out for the subjunctive forms in the texts that I read. Something that I have started to do recently in French, (the subjunctive works more or less the same) is to save phrases that are triggers the subjunctive, and tag them as such (subjunctive triggers). So phrases like es probable que … (it is probable that). I would say maybe 95 % of the time the subjunctive gets used after a phrases that end in que and expresses doubt, surprise, wishes and so on.
“I´ve thought about going to a Spanish verb conjugation site and plot into lingQ all the verbs is subjunctive, but what do you think”
I did the same thing with adverbs and the 50 most common verbs in a few tenses before I gave up, it is quite time consuming and I think taging does this work for you. Also since subjunctive is such a big part of Spanish grammar you will have no problem finding lots of examples with subjunctive being used.
From what I can remember the conjunction of the verbs in the are or less consistent.
Edit:
I have also come across instances, quite often actually where I have absolutely no clue as to way the subjunctive is used. In those instances it is obviously a good thing to ask on the forum.
I would not worry about it to much mastering the subjunctive, it is along with the many uses of se (I can’t remember all the possible meanings of this pesky little word) and prepositional phrases on of the the hardest things to master in Spanish.