Creo que es, no creo que sea: opinion, judgement and someone else's order
The course has already seen subjuntivo after para que, quiero que and cuando. In an argument it does a different job, and the rule here is unexpected: everything is decided by the negation. For example: “Creo que tiene razón, pero no lo diré en voz alta” — I think he is right, but I will not say it out loud. A rule from the Spanish course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The course has already seen subjuntivo after para que, quiero que and cuando. In an argument it does a different job, and the rule here is unexpected: everything is decided by the negation.
An affirmed opinion — the ordinary tense. A denied opinion — subjuntivo. Creo que tiene razón against No creo que tenga razón. Me parece que es caro against No me parece que sea caro. Está claro que viene against No está claro que venga. The logic: while the speaker asserts, the clause reports what they take as fact; the moment they deny it, the fact evaporates — and the verb slips into subjuntivo. English shows the same reflex in its own way: 'I don't think he's coming' — the doubt has migrated into the verb of thinking.
Judgement demands subjuntivo always, the affirmative kind too: es importante que lo sepas, es normal que se queje, es una pena que no puedas venir, está bien que lo digas. The difference from opinion: a judgement does not report a fact, it reacts to one.
Verbs of speech are two-faced. Decir, insistir, escribir with the ordinary tense simply pass on someone's words: dice que viene — he says he is coming. The same verbs with subjuntivo turn into an order or a request: dice que vengas — he says you are to come. One form apart, and a message has become an instruction. Pedir, exigir, proponer work the same way: always with subjuntivo, because they always demand something.
And the question: ¿crees que viene? — the ordinary tense, because it asks about a fact. But no creo que in the answer pulls subjuntivo again. The rule is easy to test: is there doubt about the very existence of the thing talked about?
Table
| turn of phrase | verb form | example | why |
|---|---|---|---|
| creo que | ordinary | creo que es caro | the speaker asserts |
| no creo que | subjuntivo | no creo que sea caro | the fact is in doubt |
| me parece que | ordinary | me parece que viene | the same |
| no me parece que | subjuntivo | no me parece que venga | the same |
| es importante que | subjuntivo | es importante que lo sepas | a judgement, not a fact |
| dice que (a report) | ordinary | dice que viene | passes the words on |
| dice que (an order) | subjuntivo | dice que vengas | demands action |
| pedir, exigir | subjuntivo | exige que le paguen | always a demand |
By example
- Creo que tiene razón, pero no lo diré en voz altaI think he is right, but I will not say it out loud
- No creo que ese argumento convenza a nadieI do not think that argument will convince anyone
- Es normal que la gente se queje del ruidoIt is normal for people to complain about the noise
- Dice que vengas antes de las ochoHe says you are to come before eight
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
Creo que es, no creo que sea: how does it work in Spanish?
The course has already seen subjuntivo after para que, quiero que and cuando. In an argument it does a different job, and the rule here is unexpected: everything is decided by the negation.
What does it look like in an example sentence Spanish?
“Creo que tiene razón, pero no lo diré en voz alta” — I think he is right, but I will not say it out loud. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.