Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Ella cree que el anuncio es claro, pero yo no creo que el salario sea tan bueno. - She thinks the ad is clear, but I do not think the salary is that good.

Ella cree que el anuncio es claro
- cree que is affirmative. After affirmative creer que, Spanish normally uses the indicative to state what is presented as a fact from the subject’s point of view.
- So es is the present indicative of ser.
yo no creo que el salario sea tan bueno
- no creo que is negative. Negating creer introduces doubt or lack of confidence in the truth of the next clause. That triggers the subjunctive.
- sea is the present subjunctive of ser.

So:

creer que + [indicative] → belief the speaker reports as real.
no creer que + [subjunctive] → doubt / denial about what follows.

Why does no creo que require the subjunctive?

In Spanish, certain expressions of doubt, denial, or uncertainty trigger the subjunctive in the subordinate clause.

Creo que el salario es bueno. → states a belief; the speaker presents it as real or probable → indicative (es).
No creo que el salario sea bueno. → denies that belief; expresses doubt about the reality of the statement → subjunctive (sea).

Common patterns:

creer que / pensar que / opinar que
- indicative (when affirmative)
no creer que / no pensar que / dudar que
- subjunctive

So no creo que el salario sea tan bueno follows the standard rule: no creer que → subjunctive in the dependent clause.

Could I say no creo que el salario es tan bueno, with es instead of sea?

Standard, careful Spanish expects subjunctive here:

✅ No creo que el salario sea tan bueno. (preferred / correct in formal language)

You may hear some native speakers, in colloquial speech, use the indicative:

⚠️ No creo que el salario es tan bueno.

But this is often considered non‑standard or less educated usage, especially in writing or in more formal contexts.

If you’re learning, you should always use:

no creo que + subjunctive → no creo que sea.

Can we omit Ella and yo? Could we just say Cree que el anuncio es claro, pero no creo que el salario sea tan bueno?

Yes. Spanish is a pro‑drop language: subject pronouns are usually optional because the verb endings already show the subject.

✅ Ella cree que el anuncio es claro, pero yo no creo que el salario sea tan bueno.
- Pronouns add emphasis and make the contrast very explicit: she thinks X, but I don’t think Y.
✅ Cree que el anuncio es claro, pero no creo que el salario sea tan bueno.
- Also grammatically correct. In context, it will be understood who cree refers to.

Using Ella and yo here highlights the contrast between her opinion and mine, which is why they’re natural in the original sentence.

What’s the difference between salario and sueldo in Spain?

In everyday Peninsular Spanish:

sueldo
- Very common in conversation.
- Means wage / salary, what you get paid (usually monthly).
salario
- Slightly more formal or technical.
- Common in contracts, legal, or economic language, but also used normally.

In most contexts, they are close synonyms:

El salario no es tan bueno.
El sueldo no es tan bueno.

Both are fine in this sentence. Using salario can sound a bit more formal or neutral; sueldo a bit more colloquial.

What does tan mean here, and how is it different from muy?

In this sentence:

tan ≈ “so” (in the sense of so good / as good as that).

Differences:

muy bueno = very good (just intensifies the adjective)
- El salario es muy bueno. → The salary is very good.
tan bueno = so good or that good, usually implying a comparison or expectation
- No creo que el salario sea tan bueno.
  → I don’t think the salary is that good / so good (as she thinks / as it seems).

So tan often suggests comparison or degree relative to something else, not just intensity.

Why is there que after cree and creo? Can it ever be left out?

Que here is a conjunction introducing a subordinate clause:

cree que el anuncio es claro → she believes *that the ad is clear*
no creo que el salario sea tan bueno → I don’t think *that the salary is so good*

In standard Spanish:

You must keep que; you cannot omit it the way English sometimes omits “that”.

So:

✅ Ella cree que el anuncio es claro.
❌ Ella cree el anuncio es claro.

In very informal speech, some people might drop que with creer in very short expressions (like creo que sí → creo que sí is already minimal), but in a full sentence like this you should always use que.

Why is it el anuncio and not just anuncio or un anuncio?

Spanish normally requires an article where English might omit one.

el anuncio = the advertisement (a specific one, known in context)
un anuncio = an advertisement (non‑specific)

In this sentence, the speaker is clearly referring to a particular ad, likely already known to both speakers (for a job, an offer, etc.), so Spanish uses the definite article:

Ella cree que el anuncio es claro
→ She thinks the (that) ad is clear.

If the speaker were talking about some ad in general, not a particular one, they might say:

Cree que un anuncio claro ayuda mucho.
→ She thinks a clear ad helps a lot.

Why is claro masculine? How do I know anuncio is masculine?

Claro agrees in gender and number with anuncio:

anuncio is masculine singular → claro (masculine singular adjective)
If the noun were feminine singular, it would be clara:
- la oferta es clara (offer = feminine) → clara

How to know anuncio is masculine:

Many nouns ending in ‑o are masculine: el anuncio, el libro, el trabajo.
The article here (el anuncio) also shows it’s masculine.

So:

el anuncio es claro (masc. sing. + masc. sing.)
la información es clara (fem. sing. + fem. sing.)

Why is it pero and not sino?

Pero and sino both translate as “but,” but they’re used differently.

pero = but / however → adds a contrast without cancelling the first part.
sino = but rather / but instead → rejects the first element and replaces it with another.

In the sentence:

Ella cree que el anuncio es claro, pero yo no creo que el salario sea tan bueno.

We are not saying the first idea is wrong. We’re just adding a contrasting opinion about another aspect (the salary). So pero is the right conjunction.

Use sino only when you negate and then correct the same element:

No creo que el anuncio sea confuso, sino claro.
→ I don’t think the ad is confusing, but rather clear.

How would this sentence change if we put it in the past (e.g. “She thought… but I didn’t think…”)?

You’d change the main verbs to the past, and normally keep the subjunctive form in the second clause (sequence of tenses):

Simple past (indefinido):

Ella creyó que el anuncio era claro, pero yo no creí que el salario fuera tan bueno.

Here:

creyó / creí = past (she thought / I thought)
era = imperfect indicative (the ad was clear)
fuera = imperfect subjunctive of ser (salary was so good – in a doubtful/denied way)

Imperfect (background past):

Ella creía que el anuncio era claro, pero yo no creía que el salario fuera tan bueno.

Same pattern; creía / no creía as ongoing or background opinions.

The key is:

Past of creer (affirmative) → past indicative in the clause (era).
Past of no creer (negative) → imperfect subjunctive in the clause (fuera / fuese).

Can I change the word order in no creo que el salario sea tan bueno, for example to no creo que sea tan bueno el salario?

Yes, Spanish word order is flexible, especially in subordinate clauses.

All of these are grammatically correct, though not equally common:

✅ No creo que el salario sea tan bueno. (most neutral / common)
✅ No creo que sea tan bueno el salario. (slightly more emphasis on salario at the end)

Putting el salario at the end can give it a little extra focus, as if clarifying it’s the salary in particular that I don’t find that good.

In most cases, the original word order is the most natural, but the alternative is fully acceptable.