Breakdown of Señor, ¿usted niega que la conspiración exista?
el señor
Mr. / sir / gentleman
usted
you (formal)
que
that / than
la
the (feminine)
existir
to exist
negar
to deny
la conspiración
conspiracy
Questions & Answers about Señor, ¿usted niega que la conspiración exista?
Why do we use the subjunctive exista here instead of the normal present tense existe?
The verb negar (to deny) is a strong verb of denial. In Spanish, when you state doubt, disbelief, or denial in the main clause, it triggers the subjunctive mood in the second part of the sentence (after que). Because the speaker is asking about denying a fact, existir takes the subjunctive form exista.
Is exista formed the same way as regular subjunctive verbs?
Yes! To get the present subjunctive, you take the 'yo' form of the present tense (existo), drop the 'o', and add the opposite ending. Since existir is an '-ir' verb, it takes '-ar' endings in the subjunctive, making it exista.
Why is the verb spelled niega instead of 'nega'?
The verb negar (to deny) is an 'e-to-ie' stem-changing verb in the present tense. For the usted form, the e in the stem changes to ie, giving us niega. This is a great reminder to watch out for stem changers, even when they act as the trigger for the subjunctive!
In English, the sentence uses 'do you deny'. Where is the 'do' in the Spanish sentence?
Spanish doesn't use auxiliary verbs like 'do' or 'does' to form questions. You simply use the conjugated verb and frame it as a question with your intonation and question marks. ¿Usted niega...? directly translates to 'Do you deny...?'.
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