The presente de subjuntivo of cenar is used to express wishes, desires, doubts or uncertainties about the action of dining, for example: Espero que cenes temprano esta noche. (I hope you dine early tonight.)

Cenar is a regular -ar verb, so its presente de subjuntivo conjugations follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Cenar (to have dinner) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Latin American Spanish):

The present subjunctive of cenar is used to express wishes, desires, demands, or uncertainty about the action of having dinner.

Wish or desire: For example, Espero que cenen temprano. (I hope they have dinner early.)

Demand or recommendation: For example, Es importante que cenen comida saludable. (It’s important that they eat healthy food for dinner.)

Uncertainty or doubt: For example, No creo que cenen en casa esta noche. (I don’t think they’ll have dinner at home tonight.)

Colloquial usage: In some Latin American countries, cenar can be used informally to mean “to eat” in general, not just for the evening meal. For example, ¿Ya cenaste algo? (Have you eaten anything yet?)

Examples

Examples of Cenar in the Subjunctive Mood

Espero que cenemos en un buen restaurante esta noche. (I hope we have dinner at a good restaurant tonight.)

¿Quieres que cene algo ligero antes de salir? (Do you want me to have a light dinner before going out?)

Aunque cenes tarde, no debes saltarte la cena. (Even if you have dinner late, you shouldn’t skip it.)

Es importante que los niños cenen a una hora razonable. (It’s important for children to have dinner at a reasonable time.)

Ojalá que cenemos juntos más a menudo. (I wish we would have dinner together more often.)

Aunque estés ocupado, asegúrate de que cenes algo nutritivo. (Even if you’re busy, make sure you have a nutritious dinner.)

Preferiría que cenáramos en casa esta noche. (I’d prefer that we have dinner at home tonight.)

Es una lástima que no cenemos juntos como familia más a menudo. (It’s a shame that we don’t have dinner together as a family more often.)

Aunque cenen tarde, los adolescentes necesitan una cena equilibrada. (Even if they have dinner late, teenagers need a balanced meal.)

Sería bueno que cenáramos afuera de vez en cuando. (It would be nice if we had dinner out every once in a while.)

No importa lo que hagas, asegúrate de que cenes algo. (No matter what you do, make sure you have dinner.)

Aunque no tengas mucha hambre, es importante que cenes algo ligero. (Even if you’re not very hungry, it’s important that you have a light dinner.)

Ojalá que cenen algo saludable esta noche. (I hope you have something healthy for dinner tonight.)

Es esencial que los niños cenen a una hora razonable y duerman bien. (It’s essential for children to have dinner at a reasonable time and get a good night’s sleep.)

Aunque estés ocupado con el trabajo, no olvides cenar algo nutritivo. (Even if you’re busy with work, don’t forget to have a nutritious dinner.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Cenar (to have dinner) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Subjunctive mood is also known as the Simple Subjunctive, Subjunctive Present, or Present Subjunctive Mood in English, and as Presente de Subjuntivo, Subjuntivo Presente, Presente del Modo Subjuntivo, or Tiempo Presente del Subjuntivo in Spanish.