Spanish Subjunctive After Emotion: me alegro de que

When you react to something, Spanish puts the next verb in the subjunctive, even when the thing is true. When the same person feels and acts, it uses the infinitive:

• Me alegro de que vengas. - I'm glad you're coming.
• Sé que vienes. - I know you're coming.

Emotion at a glance

From annoyed to delighted, every reaction on the strip takes the subjunctive:

Reaction, not report

The thing you react to is usually true. The subjunctive does not mark doubt here: it marks the clause as the thing you feel about. The same fact, reported, takes the indicative:

123

1. 1Se alegra.
2. 2Siento que esté enferma.
3. 3Le molesta.

Se alegra: she's glad. Siento que esté enferma: I'm sorry she's ill. Le molesta: it annoys him.

Me da igual que (I don't mind) is a reaction too: Me da igual que vengas o no. - I don't mind whether you come or not.

Same person: the infinitive

As with wishes, que + subjunctive needs someone else to do the second verb. When the person who feels also acts, drop the que and use the infinitive:

The de of alegrarse de and tener miedo de stays; only the que goes. Es una pena with nobody in particular takes the infinitive:

• Es una pena no poder ir. - It's a shame not to be able to go.
• Es una pena que no puedas ir. - It's a shame you can't go.

Siento que and me temo que

Two verbs have a second meaning that reports a fact, and the mood shows which one you mean:

Me temo que is the polite way to break bad news, like English I'm afraid that: it reports, so it takes the indicative. Real fear takes the subjunctive.

Mistakes English speakers make

Siento que estás enfermo is not ungrammatical: it means I sense you're ill, which is rarely what you want to say.

What to do next

1. React to three pieces of news with me alegro de que, siento que and me molesta que.
2. Do the story and sort drills below.
3. Back to the subjunctive after wishes for quiero que and ojalá.