Breakdown of El empleado ruega que firmen la autorización.
firmar
to sign
que
that / than
el empleado
the employee
rogar
to beg
la autorización
the authorization
Questions & Answers about El empleado ruega que firmen la autorización.
Why is the verb firmen in the subjunctive here?
The first verb, ruega (begs), expresses a request or influence over what someone else does. In Spanish, when you try to influence another person's actions using a phrase with que (that), the second verb must be in the subjunctive mood. That is why we use firmen instead of the regular present tense firman.
Is ruega an irregular verb?
Yes, it comes from the infinitive rogar (to beg or to pray). It has an o to ue stem change in the present tense, similar to verbs you already know like dormir and poder.
How do we know who is supposed to sign if the sentence just says firmen?
Could you say les ruega que firmen instead?
Yes, you can. Adding the indirect object pronoun les (to them) before ruega is very common and clarifies exactly who is being begged. However, as this sentence shows, it is not strictly required if it is already clear who needs to sign.
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