Subjunctive: value judgements and impersonal expressions

What it is

When you comment on a situation (is it important, normal, strange, a shame, a good idea?), Spanish often uses an impersonal expression with es (es importante, es normal, es una pena) or a personal opinion with parecer (me parece bien). These are value judgements (valoraciones). If the comment is about a specific person or situation, the verb that follows goes into the presente de subjuntivo (present subjunctive) after que: Es importante que bebas agua (it’s important that you drink water). If it’s a general statement, use the infinitive: Es importante beber agua (it’s important to drink water).

The subjunctive appears even when the situation is true: Es una pena que no puedas venir (it’s a shame you can’t come). You really can’t come, but the sentence isn’t reporting that; it’s evaluating it.

How to form it

Expression + que + subjunctive:

Parecer works like gustar: the pronoun shows who has the opinion, and the verb stays singular: A mis papás les parece bien que viaje sola (my parents are fine with me travelling alone).

Adverbs and negation don’t change anything: Es muy importante que descanses; No es normal que tarde tanto (it isn’t normal for him to be so late). Nouns work the same way: es una suerte que… (it’s lucky that…), es un problema que… (it’s a problem that…).

General or specific? The same expressions take an infinitive when they don’t refer to anyone in particular:

No preposition goes between the expression and the infinitive: es necesario estudiar, never es necesario de estudiar.

When to use it

• Es normal que estés nervioso antes de la entrevista.It’s normal for you to be nervous before the interview.a specific person
• Es mejor que salgamos temprano: siempre hay tráfico.We’d better leave early: there’s always traffic.advice for us
• Es una pena que no puedas venir a la boda.It’s a shame you can’t come to the wedding.a fact, evaluated
• Me parece bien que los niños ayuden en casa.I think it’s good for children to help at home.opinion
• Es necesario comprar los boletos con anticipación.You need to buy the tickets in advance.general: infinitive

Advice. Es mejor que and es importante que are a soft way to give advice: Es mejor que vayas al médico (you’d better see a doctor).

Reacting to plans. When someone tells you a plan, me parece bien / genial que gives your opinion: —Voy a estudiar en Chile. —¡Me parece genial que vayas!

Rules or a person? A general rule takes the infinitive: En la biblioteca es importante hablar bajo (in the library it’s important to speak quietly). Said to someone, it takes the subjunctive: Es importante que hables bajo.

Checking a plan. ¿Te parece bien que…? asks whether a plan suits someone: ¿Te parece bien que cenemos a las ocho? (is it OK with you if we have dinner at eight?).

Contrasts and traps

• Judgement or fact? Expressions that state a fact take the indicative: es verdad / es cierto / está claro / es obvio que. Compare Es verdad que llueve mucho (it’s true it rains a lot) with Es normal que llueva en abril (it’s normal for it to rain in April).
• Me parece que or me parece bien que? Me parece que tienes razón (I think you’re right) takes the indicative; Me parece bien que vengas (I’m happy for you to come) takes the subjunctive.
• Que + a conjugated verb, never que + infinitive: Es necesario que estudies, not que estudiar.
• "For you to" doesn’t translate word for word: It’s important for you to rest → Es importante que descanses.
• Es que is different: es que (the thing is…) introduces an explanation and takes the indicative: Es que no tengo tiempo.
• Sería bueno que (it would be good if) needs the imperfect subjunctive, which comes at B2; for now, use es bueno que or es mejor que.

If you also speak Portuguese

Portuguese uses the same pattern (é importante que você beba água), so the subjunctive will feel natural. The trap is the spoken Brazilian infinitive with its own subject: é melhor a gente sair cedo and é normal você ficar nervoso have no word-for-word Spanish version, so say es mejor que salgamos temprano and es normal que estés nervioso. And remember that raro means "strange": es raro que no conteste.