siempre que
conjunctionCEFR B1
What does “siempre que” mean in English?
provided that, as long as
provided that, as long as (siempre que + subjunctive — conditional reading)
Example sentences
Puedes usar mi coche siempre que lo dejes con la misma cantidad de gasolina que tenía.
You can use my car as long as you leave it with the same amount of petrol it had.
Siempre que habla de su pueblo, se le ilumina la cara de nostalgia y alegría.
Whenever she talks about her home town, her face lights up with nostalgia and joy.
Te apoyaré siempre que seas honesto conmigo y no me ocultes información importante.
I will support you as long as you are honest with me and don't hide important information from me.
How to use it
Siempre que has two distinct meanings. (1) As a conditional conjunction meaning 'provided that / as long as', it always takes subjunctive: 'Puedo ayudarte siempre que me avises antes'. (2) As a temporal conjunction meaning 'whenever / every time that', it takes indicative for habitual/past reference: 'Siempre que venía, traía flores'. The conditional sense (= provided that) is the B1 subjunctive-trigger target. Context and meaning determine which reading applies.
Common mistake
Siempre que + subjunctive = 'provided that / as long as' (condition). Siempre que + indicative = 'whenever / every time' (habitual). The mood choice reflects the meaning, not a random rule. The conditional reading (subjunctive) is the B1 target; the temporal reading (indicative) is more like A2/B1 transition.