A reaction can focus on what someone else does.

The idea

After an expression of emotion, use que and the subjunctive for the other subject. With the same subject, an infinitive is usual.

Examples

  • Me alegra que llegues temprano.I’m glad you’re arriving early.
  • A Lucía le preocupa que su hermano trabaje tanto.Lucía is worried that her brother works so much.
  • Nos sorprende que el museo cierre los lunes.It surprises us that the museum closes on Mondays.
  • A mis vecinos les molesta que el perro ladre de noche.It bothers my neighbours that the dog barks at night.
  • Siento que no puedas venir a la cena.I’m sorry you can’t come to dinner.
  • A Marta le encanta que sus amigas compartan recetas.Marta loves it when her friends share recipes.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Spanish voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

Do not use the indicative in me alegra que llegues just because the arrival is real.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose the correct form: Me alegra que Ana ___ aquí. (esté / está)

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    esté

    Esté refers to Ana’s presence, the cause of the reaction.

  2. Choose the correct form: Nos molesta que ellos ___ tarde. (lleguen / llegan)

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    lleguen

    Lleguen refers to their arrival, which bothers us.

  3. Choose the correct form: Me alegra ___ contigo. (viajar / que viajo)

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    viajar

    Viajar works because the person feeling glad also travels.

Use it today

Express how you feel about someone else’s action.