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No creo que ese amor sea real.

No creo que ese amor sea real.
I don't believe that love is real.
From Lesson 162:Indicative vs. subjunctive for beliefs (creer que / no creer que)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about No creo que ese amor sea real.

Why do we use the subjunctive sea instead of the indicative es here?
The phrase no creo que (I don't believe that) expresses doubt or denial, which triggers the subjunctive mood. That's why we use sea. If the sentence were affirmative, you would state your belief as a fact and use the normal indicative mood: Creo que ese amor es real.
Why are we using a form of ser (sea) here instead of estar (esté)?
In Spanish, we use ser to talk about inherent characteristics or the fundamental nature of something. Being "real" is considered a core, defining quality of this love, not a temporary condition or a physical location, so it requires ser.
Why is it ese amor and not eso amor?
Ese is the masculine singular word for "that" when it comes directly before a noun (like amor). Eso is a neutral pronoun used for abstract situations or unknown objects (like saying "I don't believe that!" -> ¡No creo eso!). You never put eso directly in front of a noun.
Can I leave out the word que, since we often drop "that" in English?
No, you can never drop que in sentences like this. While English speakers often say "I don't believe love is real" (skipping the "that"), Spanish always requires que to bridge the main clause (No creo) and the second part of the sentence (ese amor sea real).

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