Vamos a sentarnos donde haya sombra.

Question

I'm not great at grammar in my own language and before I started learning Spanish I didn't even know what the subjunctive was. So I've learned it's a sort of feeling expressing doubt or IF something were to happen or wishing? I can't quite see how "we're going to sit where there is shade" fits in the subjunctive. Doesn't it suggest certainty? Or am I wrong about this?

Answer

By using the subjunctive, we imply that we are not sure whether we will actually manage to find somewhere in the shade.

Answer

The subjective is used to talk about things that we are not certain if they exist. Although the plan is to sit somewhere with shade, the shady spot is not a reality until it has been discovered.

A good example of this is when using the verb "buscar" to talk about something you are in search of.

I am looking for a house that has lots of windows. Estoy buscando una casa que tenga muchas ventanas.

I am looking for a place where there is shade. Estoy buscando un lugar donde haya sombra.

We can know that a house with big windows exists, or that there are shady areas, but the specific one we are in search of has not been found yet. So the uncertainty doesn't necessarily lie in the existence of that type of thing, but rather the fact that you have not found it yet.

I hope this made sense and helped a bit :)

Answer

Hola Peter
With Sierra and David's explanations I am sure you got the hint of what the subjunctive is about. Here is a Kwiziq lesson that I'm sure will help you get a bit more familiar with the subjunctive using donde, cuando, como, quien + indicative/subjunctive.
This is another Kwiziq lesson using relative clauses "que" with indicative/subjunctive with the same idea in mind (certainty, uncertainty, kwown, unknown)
I hope they help.
Saludos
Inma