Learn Spanish (Latin America): La empresa exige que cumplamos el plazo. - The company demands that we meet the deadline.

La empresa exige que cumplamos el plazo.

The company demands that we meet the deadline.

Breakdown of La empresa exige que cumplamos el plazo.

to turn (years) / to fulfill

exigir

to demand

Questions & Answers about La empresa exige que cumplamos el plazo.

Why is cumplamos in the subjunctive?

The verb exige comes from exigir (to demand), which is a verb of influence. When one subject (the company) tries to influence or command what a different subject (we) will do, the second verb must be in the subjunctive. That is why we use cumplamos instead of the indicative cumplimos.

I know cumplir from cumplir años. How does it mean 'to meet' here?

The verb cumplir generally means to fulfill, carry out, or achieve. When paired with el plazo (the deadline) or una promesa (a promise), it translates best as meeting or keeping that commitment. In the context of birthdays, cumplir años literally means fulfilling another year of life!

Why doesn't exige have a J in it? I thought exigir changes its spelling.

You are thinking of the yo form! Verbs ending in -gir change the g to a j only when followed by an a or an o to keep the soft H sound, like in yo exijo. Since exige has an e after the g, the spelling stays the same.

Is el plazo the only way to say deadline?

El plazo refers to a time limit, period, or term given to complete something. You will also frequently hear la fecha límite (literally, the limit date) used to mean a strict, specific deadline.