Learn Spanish (Latin America): ¿Crees que el argumento es válido?

¿Crees que el argumento es válido?

Do you believe the argument is valid?

Breakdown of ¿Crees que el argumento es válido?

Questions & Answers about ¿Crees que el argumento es válido?

Why does this sentence use the indicative es instead of the subjunctive sea?

Even though this is a question, the verb creer (to believe) is affirmative because there is no no in front of it. The general rule is that affirmative creer que and pensar que take the indicative (es), while negative statements like no creo que trigger the subjunctive.

Wait, does argumento mean argument as in a fight?

Not usually. Here, argumento means a logical point or reasoning. If you want to talk about a verbal fight or dispute between people, you would use una discusión or una pelea. Keep in mind that argumento is also very commonly used to mean the plot of a book or movie!

Could you ever use the subjunctive in a question like ¿Crees que...?

Yes, occasionally! While the indicative (es) is the standard choice for affirmative questions with creer, a speaker might use the subjunctive (sea) if they strongly doubt the argument is valid and are anticipating a negative answer from you. But as a general rule, sticking to the indicative is the safest bet.

Why do we use es instead of está for is valid?