Question about subjunctive

whatsit t.A1Kwiziq community member

Question about subjunctive

Hello, there is a section called "Variable Subjunctive" that has the sentence: 

no tengo un profesor que viva en madrid 

which means: 

I don't have a teacher that lives in madrid.

My question is why would this be a subjunctive, it seems like what this person is saying is a fact that he knows that he doesn't have a teacher that lives in madrid. Or maybe he's trying to say that he doesn't have a teacher that he KNOWS OF. Idk I just want to know why it's a subjunctive. thank you 


Asked 2 years ago
InmaKwiziq team member

Hola Whatit

In our lesson there is no section called "variable subjunctive" nor a sentence like the one you mentioned. Can you be more specific about where you saw that sentence in our site please.

Gracias y saludos

 

Alan G.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

https://www.lawlessspanish.com/grammar/verbs/variable-subjunctive/

InmaKwiziq team member

Hola Whatsit and Alan

I didn't realise this came from Lawless, sorry. 

You can use both the indicative and the subjunctive in this case, depending on what you want to convey.

With the indicative:

No tengo un profesor que vive en Madrid.

Here, using the indicative, indicates that you are "declaring" something, probably something that has been mentioned before and you are simply "declaring/stating" that fact. This would have been a sentence used for example if someone had previously said to you "Hey, you have a teacher that lives in Madrid, right? - then you answer: No, yo no tengo un profesor que vive en Madrid. The indicative is justified here too because the reference, in this case "el profesor" is seen as someone specific in the mind of the speakers - identified.

With the subjunctive, (and this is more common to hear):

"No tengo un profesor que viva en Madrid." 

Here, the person, more than declaring a fact, or referring to a "specific person", is saying that he doesn't have any teacher who may be living in Madrid, the teacher (whoever that may be) is seen as someone unknown, unidetified

So, your assumption is right, there is no teacher he knows of who lives in Madrid. 

Saludos cordiales

Inma

Question about subjunctive

Hello, there is a section called "Variable Subjunctive" that has the sentence: 

no tengo un profesor que viva en madrid 

which means: 

I don't have a teacher that lives in madrid.

My question is why would this be a subjunctive, it seems like what this person is saying is a fact that he knows that he doesn't have a teacher that lives in madrid. Or maybe he's trying to say that he doesn't have a teacher that he KNOWS OF. Idk I just want to know why it's a subjunctive. thank you 


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