Subjunctive: emotions and reactions

What it is

When you react to news or say how something makes you feel (glad, worried, surprised, annoyed, sorry), the situation you react to goes into the presente de subjuntivo (present subjunctive): Me alegra que estés aquí (I’m glad you’re here). This surprises many learners, because the situation is often a plain fact: you really are here. But Spanish isn’t asking whether it’s true. It presents the clause as the cause of a feeling, and feelings take the subjunctive. It’s the same logic as value judgements (es una pena que…): you aren’t reporting the situation, you’re reacting to it. When the person who feels is also the person who acts, use the infinitive: Me alegra verte (I’m glad to see you).

How to form it

There are three common patterns.

1. Verbs like gustar. Indirect object pronoun + verb + que + subjunctive. The que clause is the subject, so the verb is always singular:

2. Verbs and phrases with de. If the expression takes de before a noun, it keeps de before que:

(Harto means "fed up".)

3. Exclamations. ¡Qué bien / qué bueno / qué pena / qué lástima / qué raro que + subjunctive! This is the quickest way to react in conversation: ¡Qué bien que puedas venir! (great that you can come!).

Same person → infinitive. As with wishes, use que + subjunctive only when someone else is involved:

When to use it

• ¡Qué bien que puedas venir el sábado!Great that you can come on Saturday!good news
• Me preocupa que mi abuelo viva solo.It worries me that my grandfather lives alone.worry
• Me sorprende que Andrés no sepa nadar.I’m surprised Andrés can’t swim.surprise
• Siento mucho que estés enferma.I’m so sorry you’re ill.sympathy
• A mis abuelos les encanta que los visitemos.My grandparents love it when we visit them.gustar pattern with les

Good news. Short reactions are the most common: —Mis papás vienen el domingo. —¡Qué bien que vengan!

Bad news. ¡Qué lástima que…! and siento mucho que… show sympathy: —No puedo ir a tu fiesta. —¡Qué lástima que no puedas venir!

Annoyance. Me molesta que, no soporto que (I can’t stand it when) and estoy harto de que complain about other people’s habits: No soporto que la gente llegue tarde.

Worries. Me preocupa que and me da miedo que describe a situation that worries you: Me da miedo que mi hermana maneje de noche (it scares me that my sister drives at night).

Sentir has three uses: Siento que estés enferma (I’m sorry that…: subjunctive), Siento llegar tarde (sorry for my own action: infinitive) and Lo siento on its own (I’m sorry). Careful: siento que + indicative means "I feel that": Siento que no me escuchas (I feel you don’t listen to me).

Contrasts and traps

• Facts still take the subjunctive: Me alegra que estés aquí, not que estás. Compare knowing: Sé que estás aquí (indicative).
• Singular verb: Me molesta que los vecinos hagan ruido, not me molestan.
• Alegrarse de: before que, use de: Me alegro de que vengas. Without the reflexive, no de: Me alegra que vengas. (In speech you’ll also hear me alegro que.)
• Dar pena depends on where you are. In Spain and the Southern Cone, me da pena means "it makes me sad". In Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Venezuela it usually means "I’m embarrassed": Me da pena hablar en público. Mexico also has apenarse (to feel embarrassed). For "what a shame", ¡Qué lástima que…! works everywhere.
• Lo siento stands alone. Before an infinitive or que, drop lo: Siento llegar tarde, not Lo siento llegar tarde.
• ¡Qué bueno que…! In relaxed Latin American speech you may hear the indicative about past events (¡Qué bueno que viniste!), but the subjunctive is always correct.

If you also speak Portuguese

Standard Portuguese uses the subjunctive here too (fico feliz que você venha), but everyday Brazilian speech often switches to the indicative: que bom que você pode vir. In Spanish, keep the subjunctive: ¡Qué bien que puedas venir! Change alegrar-se com to alegrarse de, and remember that in Mexico and Colombia me da pena means tenho vergonha.