Breakdown of ¡Qué alivio que cancelen el proyecto!
qué
what
el proyecto
the project
que
that / than
cancelar
to cancel
el alivio
relief
Questions & Answers about ¡Qué alivio que cancelen el proyecto!
Why do we use the subjunctive cancelen here instead of the indicative cancelan?
Because the first part of the sentence expresses an emotion or judgment. The structure ¡Qué + noun + que... sets up an emotional reaction (in this case, relief or alivio). When you react to a situation rather than just objectively declaring it as a fact, the verb in the following clause must be in the subjunctive.
Why is it just Qué alivio and not Qué un alivio to match "What a relief"?
In Spanish exclamations starting with Qué, you never use the indefinite articles un or una. You simply attach the noun or adjective directly to Qué. Adding un here is a very common pitfall for English speakers!
Who is the subject of cancelen in this sentence?
The English translation says "they are canceling". Could I say estén cancelando instead?
You could, but it isn't necessary. In Spanish, the simple present subjunctive (cancelen) naturally covers actions happening right now or in the near future. The progressive form (estén cancelando) specifically highlights that the action is in the middle of happening, but the simple form is much more common and sounds more natural here.
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