The Present Subjunctive of contestar is used to express desires, doubts, or uncertainties about responding or answering something. For example, Es importante que contestes a todas las preguntas. (It’s important that you answer all the questions.)

Contestar is a regular -ar verb, so its Present Subjunctive conjugations follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Contestar (to answer) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Castilian Spanish):

Contestar generally means “to answer” or “to reply”, but has several different meanings in the Subjunctive Mood, some of which might surprise you.

To answer or reply: for example, Es importante que contestes todas las preguntas con sinceridad. (It’s important that you answer all the questions sincerely.)

To respond: for example, Espero que contestes rápidamente a mi mensaje. (I hope you respond quickly to my message.)

To retort or talk back (colloquial): for example, ¡No me contestes así! (Don’t talk back to me like that!)

To correspond or match (figurative): for example, Que tu comportamiento conteste a tus palabras. (May your behavior match your words.)

Examples

Examples of Contestar in the Subjunctive Mood

Espero que contestes todas las preguntas con honestidad. (I hope you answer all the questions honestly.)

Es importante que conteste el teléfono cuando su jefe llame. (It’s important that you answer the phone when your boss calls.)

Ojalá que contesten el correo electrónico pronto. (I hope they answer the email soon.)

Para aprobar el examen, es necesario que contestemos todas las preguntas. (To pass the exam, it’s necessary that we answer all the questions.)

Dudo que contesten la encuesta con sinceridad. (I doubt they’ll answer the survey honestly.)

Tal vez contesten el correo electrónico mañana. (Maybe they’ll answer the email tomorrow.)

Es una lástima que no contestes las llamadas de tu familia. (It’s a shame that you don’t answer your family’s calls.)

Quiero que contestes con total honestidad en la entrevista de trabajo. (I want you to answer with complete honesty in the job interview.)

Sería bueno que contestemos el cuestionario juntos. (It would be good if we answered the questionnaire together.)

No creo que contesten a tiempo para la fecha límite. (I don’t think they’ll answer in time for the deadline.)

Es fundamental que contestes todas las preguntas del examen de admisión. (It’s essential that you answer all the questions on the admission exam.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Contestar (to answer) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American 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.