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| Verb | Definiton and notes |
|---|---|
| Aconsejarle (a uno) que |
to advise / suggest (recommend) that (e.g. Me aconseja
que lo abra) The indirect object of the first verb acts as the subject of the second but there's an optional infinitive: Le aconsejan dejarlo para mañana = They advise you to leave it for tomorrow |
| Advertir que | Advertir
means to notice / observe (with the indicative tense) Advertir de means to warn but I've read somewhere that 'de' isn't important. I've seen: Te advierto que es muy peligroso = I'm warning you that it's very dangerous Le advierte que no... + subjunctive = I advise you not to... Le advertí de su amiga lo sabía = I noticed that your friend knew it (indicative - imperfect tense) Le advertimos que no me importa = I told her it's not important to me (indicative) No advertí que estuviera triste = I couldn't tell that he was unhappy (subjunctive) Does anyone have any more information on this verb? |
| Aguantar que |
To tolerate that |
| Alegrarse de que |
To be pleased that Me alegro de que te gusten = I'm happy that you like them |
| Aparecer que |
To appear/seem that |
| Apetecer que | ¿Te apetece que vayamos al parque el lunes? = Do you fancy going to the park on Monday? There's an optional infinitive: ¿Te apetece venir a mi casa? = Do you fancy coming to my house? (rather than ¿Te apetece que vengas a mi casa?) |
| Basta que | It's enough / sufficient that |
| Buscar que |
To search – I've decided
to include this here but it's really a relative clause with an
indefinite first part e.g. busco alguien que hable español
– this is explained at the top of the page Busco un médico que hable inglés = I am looking for a doctor that speaks English (NOTE: that the personal 'a' is omitted because there's doubt that the object of the verb exists) |
| Comprender que |
To understand that (to understand
why - sympathizing) |
| Conocer (a alguien) que -ve and ¿? |
To know (someone) that subjunctive only with negative sentences and questions In relative clauses, the subjunctive is used when you don't know of the existence of something |
| Conseguir que | This takes the subjunctive when you use it to mean 'to manage' No conseguí que se lo cambiara = I couldn't get him to change it El primer ministro consiguió que se modificara la ley = The prime minister managed to modify the law I've been told that these are using the passive construction, rather than the reflexive. I understand that the last example can be changed for: El primer ministro consiguió modificar la ley also you can say: Conseguí hacerlo = I managed to do it |
| Convencer de que | Convencer de que + indicative = to convince Convencer de que + subjunctive = to persuade Lo convencí de que era importante = I convinced him that it was important Lo convencí de que cambiara de trabajo = I persuaded him to change his job Also, I've seen a use like this 'Lo convencí para que me acompañara = I convinced him to accompany me' because 'para que' (which is mentioned in the conjunctions article) has the subjunctive after it meaning 'so that / in order that...' |
| Convenir que |
To be good / advisable that
(conviene que = it is advisable that...) |
| Creer que -ve and ¿? |
To believe that subjunctive only with negative sentences and questions The subjunctive is sometimes optional after verbs of believing or knowing depending on the degree of uncertainty. |
| Darle (a uno) miedo de que | To be afraid that |
| Decirle (a uno) que |
If you use the subjunctive, then
you are reporting what someone says or implying a command / order: Me dice que sale = She tells me that he's going out Me dice que salga = She tells me to go out The indirect object of the first verb acts as the subject of the second |
| Dejar que |
To allow that - optional
infinitive if the object of the first clause is the same as the subject
of the second Lo dejé comprar el libro = I allowed him to buy the book |
| Depender de que |
To depend on that (e.g. Dependo de
que me vea mañana – I depend on him seeing me
tomorrow) |
| Desear que |
to wish that, want |
| Detestar que |
To hate that |
| Dudar (de) que -ve |
to doubt that (de is optional) but "I don't doubt that ..." expresses a fact no dudo que lo sabe – I don't doubt that he knows it Depending on the certainty involved, the subjunctive is sometimes optional: No dudaba que estuviera mintiendo = I didn't doubt that he was lying |
| El hecho de que El que Que (when it means "the fact that") |
The fact that – a
general rule is that you use the subjunctive unless you put a
preposition in front of it e.g. No quiso hablar por el hecho de que... He didn't want to speak due to the fact that... |
|
Es... -ve and ¿? |
It's... subjunctive use only with negative sentences and questions for the following adjectives: |
| cierto que | certain that - but "Eso que dice no es cierto" |
| claro que | clear that |
| evidente que | evident/obvious that |
| seguro que | sure / certain that |
| una realidad que | a reality / fact that |
| un hecho que | a fact that |
| verdad que | true that |
|
Es... |
It's... |
| absurdo que | absurd that |
| aconsejable que | advisable that |
| bueno que | good that |
| conveniente que | convenient that |
| difícil que | hard that (expressing an opinion) |
| dudoso que | doubtful that |
| esencial que | essential that |
| fácil que | easy / likely that (expressing an opinion) - es fácil que no pase = It might not happen |
| fantástico que | fantastic that |
| hora que | time that |
| imperativo que | imperative that |
| importante que | important that |
| imposible que | impossible that |
| imprescindible que | indispensable that |
| improbable que | improbable that |
| incierto que | uncertain that |
| increíble que | incredible that |
| interesante que | interesting that |
| inútil que | useless that (implying that there's no point) |
| justo que | just / fair that |
| malo que | (too) bad that (expressing an opinion) |
| mejor que | better if / that also - 'Es mejor + infinitive' = 'It's better to do' e.g. 'Es mejor no decir nada' = 'It's better to keep quiet' |
| menester que | necessary that |
| natural que | natural that |
| necesario que | necessary that |
| obligatorio que | obligatory that |
| peor que | worse that |
| poco probable que | unlikely that |
| posible que | possible that |
| precio que | necessary that |
| preferible que | preferable that |
| previsible que | likely that |
| probable que | probable that |
| raro que | strange that (expressing an opinion) |
| ridículo que | ridiculous that |
| triste que | sad that |
| una lástima que | a pity that |
| una pena que | a pity that |
| útil que |
useful that (expressing an opinion) |
| No es obvio que | it's not obvious that |
| No es que | It
isn't that (e.g. No es que sea caro, sino que es... It isn't that
it's expensive, but that it's...) |
| Escribirle (a uno) que | If a
command or order is implied, you use the subjunctive. The indirect object of the first verb acts as the subject of the second: Me escribe que yo venga aquí = He writes to me to come here No implied command: Me escribe que su amiga está enferma = She writes to me that her friend is ill |
| Esforzarse para que / porque | To make an
effort to I've included this here because porque uses the subjunctive after a few verbs and translates as "in order that." Do you know any other verbs like this? Para que uses the subjunctive, as explained in the document about conjunctions. Se esforzában para que / porque perfeccionen el español = They were making an effort so that they improve their Spanish Esforzarse por + infinitive = to struggle to... |
| Esperar que |
With the indicative,
this means 'to expect that'. With the subjunctive, it means 'to hope that'. Esperaba que viniéramos = he hoped that we would come It's common to hear the future tense in speech after this verb |
|
Estar... -ve and ¿? |
To be... subjunctive use only with negative sentences and questions for the following adjectives: |
| cierto que | Certain that e.g. No estoy cierto que venga |
| seguro de que | sure that e.g. ¿Está segura de que esté enferma? |
|
Estar... |
To
be... |
| contento que | happy that |
| deseando que | desiring / wanting that |
| furioso que | furious that |
| hasta la coronilla de que | to be sick to death of the fact that |
| molesto que | annoyed that |
| en contra de que | against that |
| triste que | sad that |
| No estar convencido de que |
Not to be convinced that (does this use the indicative if it's positive?) |
| No estar de acuerdo con | Not to agree with Note: Estar de acuerdo con alguien - used when you are in agreement with somebody. eg. estoy de acuerdo con Miguel Estar de acuerdo en algo - when you agree about something. eg. Miguel y yo estamos de acuerdo en todo Estar de acuerdo en que... - you agree that... eg. estoy de acuerdo en que Miguel tiene que ayudar |
| Esto sólo hacía
que |
This only made... e.g. Esto
sólo hacía que ella se enfadara – this only
made her angry |
| Evitar que |
To avoid that |
| Exigirle (a uno) que |
To demand that The indirect object of the first verb acts as the subject of the second |
| Explicar el que |
To explain the fact that e.g. Esto explicaba el que quisiera... This explained the fact that he wanted... It's not the verb explicar that is triggeing the subjunctive, it's 'el que' - see 'El hecho de que' |
|
Extrañar a uno que |
To be surprised/puzzled that e.g. Nos extrañaba que... – it puzzled us that... |
| Extrañarse que | To be amazed that |
| Faltar | This popular
verb has numerous uses and the subjunctive is used in some ways: After "Falta por ver si..." = It remains to be seen whether... Falta que... = You still have to... Does anyone know if you can use other conjugations of this verb e.g. the nosotros form? Poco falta para que se termine la pelicula = The film is almost over |
| Gustarle a uno que | To like the fact that e.g. No me gusta que ... = I don't like the fact that... |
|
Gustarse que |
To like
that Me gustaría que él estuviera ilusionado en tenerlos |
| Haber | ¿Hay
algo que valga la pena ver allí? = Is there anything worth
seeing there? (this is a relative clause) The verb triggers the subjunctive in this case because there may or may not be something in existence |
| Hace
falta que |
it's
necessary that
(for a purpose) e.g. Hace falta que lo abra but remember other uses too: Me hacen mucha falta = I need them very much Hace falta + infinitive = You / one must... You can also use this with nouns - hace falta otra camiseta más = I need another tee-shirt |
| Hacer gracia | To be funny to someone Me hace gracia que diga eso = It's funny that you say that |
| Hacer
que |
To
make/force that (e.g. Hizo que
se quedara - he made him stay) Hará que no quieran ir = You'll stop them wanting to go optional indicative - lo hizo quedarse – he made him stay |
| Imaginarse que -ve | No imaginarse que + subjunctive Note: Imagina un mundo sin coches = Imagine a world without cars Imagínese en esa situación = Imagine yourself in that situation (does this use the indicative if it's positive?) |
| Impedir que |
to prevent that (optional
infinitive if the object of the first clause is the same as the subject
of the second – see mandar) Le hubiera gustado impedir que nos siguiéramos viendo = He would've like to stop us seeing each other |
| Importa que | It's important that |
| Insistir en que |
to insist on |
| Intentar evitar que |
To intend to avoid that |
| Invitar que |
To invite that |
| Lograr | To manange / achieve / get Logró que ella salga con él = He managed to get her to go out with him Lograr hacer = to manage to do |
| Más vale que |
it's better that + subjunctive
e.g. Más vale que se quede en su casa Más valdría que no fumáramos aquí= It would be better if we didn't smoke also: Más vale que lo visitemos = We might as well visit him más vale + infinitive means it's better to do e.g. Más vale prevenir curar = It's better to prevent than to cure This verb is from the verb 'valer' and has another use listed further on under 'Vale la pena que' |
| Me fastidia que |
It annoys me that |
| Me irrita que |
It irritates me that (does anyone know if this uses an
indirect object? Send me a message on my homepage) |
| Me molesta que |
It bothers me that (this uses the
indirect object) |
| Mi sueño de que |
My dream is that (this isn't a
verb but I wanted to include it anyway) |
| Mandarle (a uno) que | To order that The indirect object of the first verb acts as the subject of the second but there's an optional infinitive: Les mandan volver = they order them to return |
| Maravillar(se) de que | To marvel that |
| Merece la pena que | It's worthwhile to |
| Necesitar que |
To need that - in relative
clauses, you use the subjunctive when there's doubt of existance: Necesito un médico que hable inglés = I need a doctor that speaks English (NOTE: that the personal 'a' is omitted because there's doubt that the object of the verb exists) |
| Negar que |
To deny that but if it's used in a negative sentence, then use the indicative since no doubt is implied |
| Obligar que |
To force that (optional
infinitive if the object of the first clause is the same as the subject
of the second – see mandar) |
| Ordenar que |
to order that (optional
subjunctive if the object of the first clause is the same as the
subject of the second e.g. les ordenó que salieran/les
ordenó salir) |
| Parecerle (a uno) que | It doesn't appear/seem that - this uses the
subjunctive in negative
statements, and if you're saying something as a hypothesis in a
positive statement No me parece que él te conozca Parece que quiso... here, something happened in the past so it's a fact. Parece que quisiera... = It seems that he wanted... Note: Parece que / Me parece que function in the same way Me parece que estás equivocado Parece que estás equivocado No (me) parece que lo tengas claro If you want to highlight the facts are hypothetical, you don't use 'me' and you use the subjunctive: Parece que tuvieras dudas. and you can use this construction with all the verbal tenses: (me) parece que podrías mejorar (me) parece que has puesto mucho esfuerzo Does anyone know if you use the subjunctive in a question? Contact me at the bottom of my home page (link below) |
| Parece mentira que | It seems unreal that |
| Parecer(le) bien / mal que | To seem right/wrong that |
| Pedirle (a uno) que |
to ask that: solo les pedimos que
tengan cuidado – we're only asking that you take care The indirect object of the first verb acts as the subject of the second Me pide que yo lo ayude = He asks me to help him |
| Pensar que -ve and ¿? |
To think that subjunctive only with negative sentences and questions |
| Perdonar que | To ask forgiveness for |
| Permitir que |
to permit that/allow optional indicative if the object of the first clause is the same as the subject of the second Te permito ver la televisión / Te permito que vea la televisión I allow you to watch the television (ver la televisión is used in Spain and Mirar is used in other places) |
| Preferir que |
To prefer that |
| Prevenir que | To
prevent / warn Te prevengo que tengas cuidado = I'm warning you to be careful Prevenimos que cause hostilidad = We're preventing him from causing hostility (the verb causar is in the subjunctive) |
| Prohibir que |
to forbid that optional indicative if the object of the first clause is the same as the subject of the second Ella te prohibía salir / Ella te prohibía que saliera She prohibited you to leave |
| Proponer que |
To propose that |
| Puede (ser) que |
perhaps / It is possible that puede que ella lo conozca = She might know him Puede ser la razón que... is followed by the indicative. The word 'ser' can be omitted, puede que = puede ser que. You may hear 'puede que' commonly but at work you may hear 'puede ser que' but they still mean the same thing. |
| Querer que |
to wish that, want |
| Recomendar(le) que |
to recommend that The indirect object of the first verb acts as the subject of the second - optional indicative e.g. Te recomiendo no comprarlo – I recommend (to you) that you don't buy it |
| Recordar a alguien que | This uses the subjunctive when reminding someone to do something Recuérdame que compre pan = Remind me to buy some bread |
| Rogarle (a uno) que |
To request/beg that The indirect object of the first verb acts as the subject of the second |
| Saber que -ve and ¿? |
Know that subjunctive only with negative sentences and questions but in a negative statement, the subjunctive is optional, depending on the certainty e.g. No sabía que estaban en la casa = I didn't know that they were in the house (which is a provable fact) No sabíamos que fuera así = We didn't know it was like that (it's hard to verify so the subjunctive is used) |
| Sentir (mucho) que |
to be (very) sorry that - Siento
que ella tenga problemas = I'm sorry that she's having problems Siento que ella no pueda venir = I regret she can't come but feeling something takes the indicative: Siento que algo inesperado va a ocurrir = I feel something unexpected is going to happen |
| Sorprenderse que |
to be surprised that |
| Sugerirle (a uno) que |
To suggest that |
| Suplicar que | To
beg / plead that Me suplicó que parara = He begged me to stop |
| Temer que |
To be afraid that – but
the indicative is usually used when you are expressing a regret, like
"I fear that I've made a mistake" It's common to hear the future tense in speech after this verb |
| Tener miedo de que |
To be afraid that ('de' for
objects, 'a' for people when you're talking about what you are afraid
of.) Remember that as mentioned earlier, when the subjects are the same, you can use the infinitive: Tengo miedo de perder mi reloj = I'm afraid that I might loose my watch |
| Tolerar que |
To tolerate that |
| Vale la pena que | To be worthwhile to This verb is from the verb 'valer' and has another use, mentioned under 'Más vale que' |
|
Are there any errors or do you want to add more information to these
pages? You can contact me at the bottom of the home page.
¿Hay errores o tiene información adicional?Puede mandarme un mensaje al final de la página principal |