Breakdown of ¿Es normal que sientas pánico al escuchar ese chillido?
ser
to be
escuchar
to listen
ese
that (masculine)
que
that / than
normal
normal
sentir
to feel
al
upon / when (+ infinitive)
el pánico
panic
el chillido
shriek / squeal
Questions & Answers about ¿Es normal que sientas pánico al escuchar ese chillido?
Why is sientas in the subjunctive instead of the normal present tense sientes?
The phrase es normal que (it's normal that) is an impersonal expression that states an opinion or judgment. In Spanish, these types of expressions trigger the subjunctive mood for the verb that follows them. That is why we use the subjunctive sientas instead of the indicative sientes.
Is the stem change in sientas the same as it is in the normal present tense?
Yes! The verb sentir (to feel) is an e-to-ie stem-changing verb. In the present subjunctive, it keeps this same stem change for the yo, tú, él/ella, and ellos/ellas forms, which is why it becomes sientas here.
Could I say cuando escuchas instead of al escuchar?
Since this lesson is about echarse a + infinitive, how could I use that structure to say someone suddenly started shrieking?
In this sentence, chillido is a noun meaning "shriek." The verb form is chillar (to shriek or to scream). Since echarse a is used for sudden, spontaneous reactions (like laughing, crying, or running), you can pair it with the verb form to say echarse a chillar (to burst into screams / to suddenly start shrieking).
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