u/harshmangat

https://preview.redd.it/ylxibtu5cmeh1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=28059cf80aff06b7b2a2b025709a9f5b0153c645

When I started learning Spanish a few years ago (I have access to unlimited native speakers at will, but don't live in a Spanish speaking country), my first Spanish teacher said that the verb "haber" and subjuntivo are two things that we don't really need to learn, and if we really want to, we can get into them when we are upper intermediate. So I never paid much attention to it. I am sure different teachers approach it differently, but mine just said "you can use the regular verbs and be fine, everyone will understand you" which was true, because I have been having tons of conversations with natives for years and never felt like they didn't understand me outside of needing to translate a word here or there.

However, for the last 12-18 months I have felt like my Spanish had stagnated (I haven't taken a formal lesson since 2023), and the only new progress I had been making was learn more slang, more ways to say things (including incorporating the subjunctive without actually understanding the logic behind it) like natives do (due to the conversations I have with them), and of course new vocabulary.

But I wanted to make technical progress in a way that was challenging and made me express myself better. So I sat down to make a plan in mastering haber because I wanted to understand when and how to use hubiera, hubiere and habria. And that led me to realising that the subjuntivo is such an important part of the cog to actually express yourself more freely, more use of the past tense, more use of the hypothetical scenarios, wishes, desires, etc. And I have been reading a lot, watching a lot of videos, immediately incorporating it with conversations with my friends and it has helped me so much already. It has added emotion to the latino urban and reggaeton I have been listening to for all these years, all of a sudden I can see the nuance in a love song between when someone is being polite, wishful vs being assertive and cold. It's very obvious, and I am sure at whatever point of your journey you picked it up, you felt similar emotions, but it has made me genuinely so excited to learn more of the structure of the language, and made me confident because I really want to make that C1 ascent that I have put off for so long.

So if you're stuck, as a self-learner, yes you can get by everyday life and even survive perfectly normally without using the subjunctive, and also understand people who use it normally but if you'd like to identify where you are at, have a go at understanding how haber is used, and the subjuntivo mood (if you haven't already mastered either) and I promise you it will make a world of a difference.

And to more advanced and native speakers, what else would you recommend that would open my mind up? I haven't felt this excited about the language in quite sometime now.

Hey guys,

I recently had my PAR autorejected (surprise surprise I am from India) and I really need to visit Hong Kong for an academic conference in September (over 3 months away). I was under the impression that a PAR will be straightforward, but of course that didn't work.

Q1: I was told that even if the reason for travel is legitimate, the evisa is known to be rejected easily too (can anyone confirm if this is true?).

My travel history includes over 50 visits to the Schengen Zone over the last 5 years, about 10 visits to the UK in the same period, and also to Turkey, and that's really it. I also work at an overseas university.

I am a bit confused regarding the stamps and visas that they want to see (I have had 4 Schengen visas, and about 4 UK visas on my previous passport + new one combined). However, most of my stamps are on the old passport that expired last year, and I do not get stamps to go into Schengen anymore (but I have had over 40-50 at least from memory).

Q2: Should I attach all visits from the last and new passport? or will entries and stamps on a different passport number increase the likelihood of rejection?

Q3: Also, the application does not mention a cover letter, but I read confusing accounts on reddit saying people also attach cover letters?

Q4: Finally, while my trip is for a conference (I will be applying for a business visa), I would also like to go 3 days before the event for the jet lag + to see the place, would you recommend ticking both boxes (tourist and business) or just business and add those details in case they ask for supporting evidence?

The host university has confirmed via a letter that they will be hosting me at a hotel for 3 nights, and pay for the travel, however, I will be there for 6 nights, 7 days (I will get a hotel privately for the rest of the trip). The document checklist on the website does not ask for proof of accommodation though, so I do not know if I should book it already and send it with the initial application.

I've never stressed out or asked too many questions online regarding visas because I have never had to, but this conference is really dear to me and I do not want to make any errors in the application, hence the overwhelming questions.

How were your experiences with applying after a rejection? And were you asked for a lot of supporting documents beyond what was asked for in the checklist?

Thanks a lot! I look forward to your replies.

Hey guys,

I recently had my PAR autorejected (surprise surprise) and I really need to visit Hong Kong for an academic conference in September (over 3 months away). I was under the impression that a PAR will be straightforward, but of course, I am from Chandigarh so that didn't work.

Q1: I was told that even if the reason for travel is legitimate, the evisa is known to be rejected easily too (can anyone confirm if this is true?).

My travel history includes over 50 visits to the Schengen Zone over the last 5 years, about 10 visits to the UK in the same period, and also to Turkey, and that's really it. I also work at an overseas university.

I am a bit confused regarding the stamps and visas that they want to see (I have had 4 Schengen visas, and about 4 UK visas on my previous passport + new one combined). However, most of my stamps are on the old passport that expired last year, and I do not get stamps to go into Schengen anymore (but I have had over 40-50 at least from memory).

Q2: Should I attach all visits from the last and new passport? or will entries and stamps on a different passport number increase the likelihood of rejection?

Q3: Also, the application does not mention a cover letter, but I read confusing accounts on reddit saying people also attach cover letters?

Q4: Finally, while my trip is for a conference (I will be applying for a business visa), I would also like to go 3 days before the event for the jet lag + to see the place, would you recommend ticking both boxes (tourist and business) or just business and add those details in case they ask for supporting evidence?

The host university has confirmed via a letter that they will be hosting me at a hotel for 3 nights, and pay for the travel, however, I will be there for 6 nights, 7 days (I will get a hotel privately for the rest of the trip). The document checklist on the website does not ask for proof of accommodation though, so I do not know if I should book it already and send it.

I've never stressed out or asked too many questions online regarding visas because I have never had to, but this conference is really dear to me and I do not want to make any errors in the application, hence the overwhelming questions.

How were your experiences with applying after a rejection? And were you asked for a lot of supporting documents beyond what was asked for in the checklist?

Thanks a lot! I look forward to your replies.