Usine Creer as a question

John O.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Usine Creer as a question

Hola,

Can I check my understanding of one of the questions I completed please. The question was ¿Crees que es bueno que Juan ________? (venga).

I thought that when we use "Creer" [I think / believe] it takes the indicative because it is our opinion / belief, there isn't an element of doubt. My question is, does it take the subjunctive because it is a question about what someone else thinks / believes?

Thanks. John

Asked 5 years ago
Alan G.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

The verb after "crees que" is "es" which is in the indicative. However, "es bueno que" is always followed by the subjunctive.

Whether "crees que" should take the subjunctive because it's a question is an interesting point, though. I don't think it does in Spanish, but I'm not 100% sure. In French it would require the subjunctive.

InmaNative Spanish expert teacher in Kwiziq

Hola John

Exactly as Alan said. You can see the indicative in "es" after "crees que", and then the subjunctive after es + adjective + que constructions: "venga".

As per Alan's question about ¿crees que...? taking or not the subjunctive as a question, no, it doesn't in Spanish. Even when we use it in negative "¿No crees que Laura es hermosa? (Don't you think Laura is beautiful?; UNLESS, someone has previously established in the conversation that "Laura is beautiful", and then someone shows some doubts about this and another person then says "¿No crees que Laura sea hermosa?" In this case we'd most probably use the subjunctive "sea" because this bit of information has already been shared among the speakers. It is a shared information and this would trigger the subjunctive. 

Inma

Usine Creer as a question

Hola,

Can I check my understanding of one of the questions I completed please. The question was ¿Crees que es bueno que Juan ________? (venga).

I thought that when we use "Creer" [I think / believe] it takes the indicative because it is our opinion / belief, there isn't an element of doubt. My question is, does it take the subjunctive because it is a question about what someone else thinks / believes?

Thanks. John

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