alegrarse de que + Subjunctive
Subjunctive After Feelings
When you react with a feeling to what someone else does, or to something that happens, the next verb goes in the subjunctive: Alégrome de que estea ben (I am glad she is well).
How It Works
The pattern
Feeling + que + subjunctive, with two different subjects: (Eu) alégrome de que (ti) veñas (I am glad you are coming). The feeling is a reaction, not a statement of fact, so the second verb is in the subjunctive even when the event is real.
Common triggers
- alegrarse de que: Alégrome de que esteas aquí (I am glad you are here).
- gustar que, encantar que, molestar que, preocupar que: Gústame que me chames (I like it when you call me), Preocúpame que non coma (it worries me that he is not eating).
- ter medo de que: Teño medo de que chova (I am afraid it will rain).
- sentir que (to be sorry that): Sinto que non poidas vir (I am sorry you cannot come).
- estar contento de que, estar farto de que: Estou farto de que chegues tarde (I am fed up with you arriving late).
Verbs like gustar. With gustar, encantar and molestar the que-clause is the thing that pleases or bothers, so the main verb stays singular: Gústame que..., Moléstame que....
Same subject: use the infinitive. Alégrome de estar aquí (I am glad to be here), Teño medo de caer (I am afraid of falling). Using que + subjunctive here sounds wrong.
Galician extra: the personal infinitive. After a preposition, Galician can also use the personal infinitive for a different subject: Alégrome de estares mellor means the same as Alégrome de que esteas mellor.
Sentir with two meanings. Sentir que takes the subjunctive when it means "to be sorry that", but the indicative when it means "to sense that": Sinto que algo non vai ben (I sense that something is wrong).
Keep the preposition. Expressions built with de keep it before que in standard Galician: alegrarse de que, ter medo de que (see keeping de before que).
Past feelings. After a past main verb, use the past subjunctive: Alegreime de que viñese (I was glad she came). See sequence of tenses.
Examples (6)
- Alégrome de que esteas mellor.
I am glad you are feeling better.
Word by Word: I-rejoice-myself of that you-be better.
Esteas is the present subjunctive of estar; the person who is glad (eu) and the person who is better (ti) are different.
- Gústame que me chames de cando en vez.
I like it when you call me now and then.
The que-clause is what pleases, so gustar stays singular. Me goes before chames because it follows que.
- Teño medo de que chova o día da voda.
I am afraid it will rain on the wedding day.
Chova is the present subjunctive of chover and refers to a future possibility.
- Moléstame que a xente fale alto no tren.
It bothers me when people talk loudly on the train.
A xente is grammatically singular, so the subjunctive is fale.
- Sinto moito que non poidas vir á festa.
I am very sorry you cannot come to the party.
Sentir que in the sense of being sorry takes the subjunctive: poidas, from poder.
- Os meus pais están contentos de que vivamos preto.
My parents are happy that we live nearby.
Estar contento de que works like alegrarse de que.
Common Mistakes
Using the indicative after a feeling.
Alégrome de que estás mellor.Alégrome de que esteas mellor.A feeling about someone else's situation takes the subjunctive, even when the situation is real.
Putting the pronoun before the verb at the start of a statement, as in Spanish.
Me alegro de que esteas mellor.Alégrome de que esteas mellor.In a Galician statement with nothing before the verb, the pronoun is attached after it: alégrome, gústame, moléstame.
Using que + subjunctive when both verbs have the same subject.
Teño medo de que eu caia.Teño medo de caer.When the person who feels is also the person who acts, use the infinitive.
How It Connects
Learn This First
A feeling about another event can introduce a subjunctive clause.
Related Patterns
- sexa / estea / teñaIrregular Present Subjunctives
Irregular subjunctives such as estea and poida that often follow feelings.
Level 3 - querer que + SubjunctiveWanting Someone to Do Something
Another two-subject pattern with que + subjunctive, for wishes instead of feelings.
Level 3 - dóeme / encántameVerbs Like Gustar
Verbs like encantar and molestar that work like gustar before a que-clause.
Level 2 - non creo que + SubjunctiveSubjunctive After Doubt and Denial
The subjunctive after doubt and denial, a close relative of the subjunctive after feelings.
Level 3 - Personal Infinitive or Subjunctive
Explains when Galician can replace que + subjunctive with the personal infinitive.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice alegrarse de que + Subjunctive in Bubblegum
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