actúe

Actúe is a form of the Spanish verb actuar. It is the present subjunctive in the first and third person singular, meaning it is used in subordinate clauses to express wishes, doubts, possibilities, or other non-factual statements. The form can correspond to yo actúe or él/ella/usted actúe, depending on the sentence context.

Morphology and conjugation

Actúe forms the present subjunctive as follows: yo actúe, tú actúes, él/ella/usted actúe, nosotros actuemos, vosotros actuéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes actúen. The spelling with an accent on the ú marks the stressed syllable, a requirement of the subjunctive form in this position. This form may appear with different subjects in subordinate clauses introduced by que, para que, antes de que, si acaso, among others.

Usage

Actúe is used in contexts that require subjunctive mood: expressions of desire or hope (Espero que él actúe con prudencia), doubt or uncertainty (No es seguro que ella actúe así), necessity or obligation (Es necesario que actúes ahora), and hypothetical or counterfactual situations (Si actúe rápido, podremos ganar). It also appears in indirect questions and formal or literary registers.

Pronunciation and etymology

Actúe is pronounced roughly as /akˈtwe/. The accent mark on the üe syllable indicates the stressed vowel. The verb itself comes from actuar, which in turn derives from Latin actus, via Old Spanish and other Romance-language developments.

See also

Verbo actuar; Modo subjuntivo; Conjugación española.