Doubt, Denial and Hope

Level 5

Doubt and denial take the subjunctive, but hope takes the indicative.

How It Works

The subjunctive follows words that say you are not sure.

  • Denial: Pensi pas que siá aicí. (I do not think he is here.)
  • Doubt: Es pas segur que Maria venga. (It is not certain that Maria will come.)
  • Appearance: Sembla pas que plòga deman. (It does not look as if it will rain tomorrow.)

Hope works the other way. After espèri que, writers use the indicative: the future for an event that has not happened yet (Espèri que serà bon. I hope it will be good) and the present for what is true now (Espèri que Maria es contenta. I hope Maria is happy). The subjunctive is rare here, so this course does not use it. If you know Spanish or Catalan, do not copy their subjunctive after esperar.

The verb esperar also means to wait, and then it does take the subjunctive: Espèra que Joan arribe. (Wait for Joan to arrive.)

After pensi pas que the subjunctive is the textbook form, and writers sometimes use the indicative instead. When you simply believe something, the verb after que stays in the indicative: Pensi que es malaut. (I think he is ill.) Cresi que ven deman. (I think he is coming tomorrow.)

Examples (5)

  1. Pensi pas que siá aicí.

    I do not think he is here.

    Siá: the subjunctive, after a denial.

  2. Es pas segur que Maria venga.

    It is not certain that Maria will come.

    Es pas segur que opens the subjunctive.

  3. Sembla pas que plòga deman.

    It does not look as if it will rain tomorrow.

    Sembla pas que opens the subjunctive: plòga.

  4. Espèri que vendrà deman.

    I hope he will come tomorrow.

    The future is common after espèri que when the event is still to come.

  5. Espèri que Maria es contenta.

    I hope Maria is happy.

    Espèri que takes the present indicative for what is true now.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the subjunctive after an affirmative opinion

    Pensi que siá malaut.
    Pensi que es malaut.

    Pensi que, with no negative, states what you believe, so the verb is in the indicative: es.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Doubt, Denial and HopeLevel 5

Learn This First

Doubt and denial take the subjunctive while hope takes the indicative, so voler que and the future come first.

Words in This Pattern

esperarpensarque