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13.4: The subjunctive with verbs that express emotion

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    The Subjunctive with Verbs that Express Emotion

    In this section we are going to learn about verbs that indicate emotion. If verb one indicates emotion and is followed by que and a second subject, the second verb will be conjugated in the subjunctive. For example

    Me alegro que estés aquí. I am happy that you are here.

    Nos frusta que ellos no lleguen a tiempo. It frustrates us that they do not arrive on time.

    La madre teme que su hija esté enferma. The mother is afraid that her daughter is sick.

    Many verbs express emotion and some are listed below. Note that some of these verbs are reflexive and require a reflexive pronoun and the preposition DE before the word que.

    aburrirse de to get bored

    alegrarse de to become happy

    asustarse de to become scared

    calmarse de to become calm

    cansarse de to become tired

    divertirse de (e:ie) to enjoy oneself

    enfadarse de to become angry

    enojarse de to become angry

    estar (alegre, triste, cansado, etc.) to be (happy, sad, tired, etc.)

    sorprenderse de to become surprised

    sentirse de (e:ie) to feel

    temer to fear

    tener miedo de to be afraid of

    There are other verbs that express emotion, but these verbs require an indirect object pronoun because the sentence structure is different in English and Spanish. The person is actually the recipient of the action, and the thing after the verb is the subject. Remember, indirect object pronouns are: me, te, le, nos, os, les. For example

    Nos encantan los tacos. We love tacos.

    Me molestan las botas nuevas. The new boots bother me.

    Remember that the subjunctive occurs in the second verb, if there is a second subject. For example

    Nos encanta preparar tacos. We love to prepare tacos.

    Nos encanta que nuestra madre prepare tacos. We love that our mom prepares tacos.

    These verbs are

    disgustar to dislike

    emocionar to excite

    encantar to love a thing

    frustrar to frustrate

    gustar to like

    importar to be important

    interesar to interest

    molestar to bother

    preocupar to worry

    Remember the subjunctive occurs in the second verb if the first verb is expresses emotion and is followed by que and a second subject. So, let's practice.

    Prácticas.

    A. Complete each sentence with the appropriate conjugation of each verb.

    1. Nos gusta que el tiempo (cambiar) ____________________.

    2. Me sorprende de que ella (tener) _________________ tres informes para escrbir esta semana.

    3. Nos frustra que la profesora nunca (cancelar) __________________ la clase.

    4. Se alegran de que el estudiante nuevo (estudiar) __________________ en AU.

    5. Te enojas de que tu hermano (romper) __________________ tu celular.

    6. Temo que la clase no (entender) _______________ la gramática.

    7. A la profesora le importa que la clase (contestar) _________________.

    8. Me emociona que mis estudiantes (ir) _________________ de España.

    9. Nos importa que el examen (ser) __________________ justo.

    10. A los estudiantes les encanta que la profesora (decir) ________________ chistes.

    11. Me alegro de que mis amigos (hablar) ___________________ español.

    B. Finish each sentence in a logical manner and with an appropriately conjugated verb.

    1. Temo que ____________________________________________.

    2. Nos alegra de que _______________________________________________.

    3. A mis amigos les importa que ______________________________________.

    4. Te alegras de que _______________________________________________.

    5. Me canso de que ________________________________________________.

    6. Nos encanta que ________________________________________________.

    7. Te encanta ______________________________________________________.

    8. A mis amigos les importa ___________________________________________.

    9. A la profesora le molesta que _______________________________________.

    10. Te asustes de que _______________________________________________.

    11. A los padres les interesa que ______________________________________.

    C. Read the list below of verbs that express emotion. Then, pick six and write your own sentences. Remember to use the verb of emotion as the first verb. Then, follow it by que, a second subject, and a verb in the subjunctive. For example

    Me frustra que no todo el mundo hable español.

    alegrarse de divertirse de importar

    asustarse de encantar interesar

    cansarse de gustar molestar

    1.

    2.

    3.

    4.

    5.

    6.

    D. What do all of the verbs in this section have in common? Which are easiest for you to remember? Why? Which are the most difficult? Why?

    This page titled 13.4: The subjunctive with verbs that express emotion was last modified on Wed, 13 May 2026 03:26:54 GMT and is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by .