ELONIO
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No deseo que discutamos por el alquiler.

No deseo que discutamos por el alquiler.
I do not want us to argue about the rent.
From Lesson 143:Present subjunctive: Regular verbs·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about No deseo que discutamos por el alquiler.

Why is it discutamos and not discutimos?
Because we need the present subjunctive here! The first verb expresses a desire (No deseo), and the subject changes from 'I' to 'we' (connected by que). Since discutir is an -ir verb, the lesson's rule applies: its regular subjunctive ending swaps to the letter 'a'. So, the normal present tense discutimos becomes the subjunctive discutamos.
Wait, doesn't discutir mean 'to discuss'?
It is a 'false friend'! While it can sometimes mean to discuss, discutir usually implies conflict, meaning to argue, to debate, or to fight verbally. If you want to talk about having a peaceful discussion, it is much safer to use hablar (to talk) or conversar (to converse).
Why does the sentence use por to mean 'about'? Shouldn't it be sobre?
You will often use sobre or de for 'about' when talking about the topic of a book, a movie, or a calm conversation. However, por is used here because it shows the cause or reason for the action. The rent is the underlying reason they are arguing, so we use por.
Could I say No quiero que... instead of No deseo que...?
Yes, absolutely! Desear (to desire/to wish) and querer (to want) mean almost the exact same thing here, though desear sounds just a little more formal. Because they both express a wish or want, they both trigger the subjunctive in the second half of the sentence.

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