Feeling + subjuntiu: Em fa ràbia que…, Tinc por que…
When the main part carries a feeling — joy, fear, anger, shame — the verb after que shifts. It takes the subjuntiu, the form for what is not stated as a fact. For example: “Em fa ràbia que el veí faci soroll de nit” — It infuriates me that the neighbor makes noise at night. A rule from the Catalan course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
When the main part carries a feeling — joy, fear, anger, shame — the verb after que shifts. It takes the subjuntiu, the form for what is not stated as a fact.
M'alegra que estiguis bé — I am glad you are all right.
Anger — em fa ràbia que: Em fa ràbia que arribi tard — it infuriates me that he is late. Fear — tinc por que: Tinc por que l'examen sigui difícil — I am afraid the exam will be hard.
The forms to keep handy: és → sigui, té → tingui, ve → vingui, plou → plogui, fa → faci. Reporting a plain fact leaves the verb alone: És veritat que plou.
Table
| feeling | frame | example |
|---|---|---|
| anger | em fa ràbia que + subjuntiu | em fa ràbia que arribi tard |
| fear | tinc por que + subjuntiu | tinc por que plogui |
| shame | em fa vergonya que + subjuntiu | em fa vergonya que ho diguin |
| joy | m'alegra que + subjuntiu | m'alegra que vinguis |
By example
- Em fa ràbia que el veí faci soroll de nitIt infuriates me that the neighbor makes noise at night
- Tinc por que l'examen sigui difícilI am afraid the exam will be hard
- M'alegra que estiguis béI am glad you are all right
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Feeling + subjuntiu: how does it work in Catalan?
When the main part carries a feeling — joy, fear, anger, shame — the verb after que shifts. It takes the subjuntiu, the form for what is not stated as a fact.
What does it look like in an example sentence Catalan?
“Em fa ràbia que el veí faci soroll de nit” — It infuriates me that the neighbor makes noise at night. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.