The Subjunctive with Emotions: me alegra que, temo que

Spanish: El subjuntivo con emociones: me alegra que, temo que

Level: B1 Intermediate

Category: subjunctive

Explanation

When we express an emotion or feeling about something that another person does, we use the subjunctive in the subordinate clause. Verbs and expressions such as "me alegra que" (I'm glad that), "temo que" (I fear that), "me molesta que" (it bothers me that), "siento que" (I'm sorry that), and "me sorprende que" (it surprises me that) introduce an emotional reaction and are followed by "que" + subjunctive. The key idea is that we are not describing an objective fact, but rather our subjective reaction to that fact. The basic structure is: [subject 1 + emotion verb] + que + [subject 2 + verb in subjunctive]. For example: "Me alegra que (tú) vengas" (I'm glad you're coming) or "Temo que (ellos) no lleguen a tiempo" (I fear they won't arrive on time). It is essential that there be a change of subject between the two parts of the sentence. The first subject feels the emotion and the second performs the action that causes that emotion. When the subject is the same in both parts of the sentence, we do NOT use "que" + subjunctive, but rather the infinitive. Compare: "Me alegra verte" (I'm glad to see you — same subject: I am glad, I see you) versus "Me alegra que vengas" (I'm glad you're coming — different subjects: I am glad, you come). This contrast between infinitive and subjunctive is one of the most important points of this lesson. Many expressions of emotion use the structure of verbs like "gustar," where the person who feels appears as an indirect object pronoun: "me alegra" (it pleases me), "te molesta" (it bothers you), "le sorprende" (it surprises him/her), "nos preocupa" (it worries us). There are also constructions with "estar + adjective + de que": "Estoy contento de que estés aquí" (I'm happy that you're here) or "Estamos tristes de que te vayas" (We're sad that you're leaving).

Examples

• Me alegra que pruebes el café de la casa. - I'm glad you're trying the house coffee.
• Temo que la habitación no esté lista todavía. - I'm afraid the room isn't ready yet.
• Me molesta que el tren llegue siempre con retraso. - It bothers me that the train always arrives late.
• Siento que no tengamos esa medicina en este momento. - I'm sorry that we don't have that medicine right now.
• Me sorprende que el museo cierre tan temprano hoy. - It surprises me that the museum closes so early today.