Breakdown of El hecho de que el envejecimiento aumente es alarmante.
ser
to be
de
from / of
que
that / than
aumentar
to increase
el hecho
the fact (de hecho: in fact)
alarmante
alarming
el envejecimiento
aging
Questions & Answers about El hecho de que el envejecimiento aumente es alarmante.
If it's a proven fact, why does "el hecho de que" use the subjunctive "aumente" instead of the indicative "aumenta"?
This is one of the trickiest parts of Spanish for English speakers! Even though it's a fact, the phrase el hecho de que is usually followed by the subjunctive when it acts as the subject of a sentence expressing an opinion, emotion, or value judgment. Because the sentence comments on the fact by calling it alarmante, the subjunctive aumente is required to reflect that emotional reaction.
Could I use the indicative "aumenta" if I just wanted to state the fact without the emotion?
Yes, but you would likely structure the sentence differently. If you are just declaring a fact or introducing new information, you would normally drop the "de" and say something like es un hecho que el envejecimiento aumenta (it is a fact that aging is increasing). When you use el hecho de que, you are taking a known fact and reacting to it, which triggers the subjunctive.
The English translation says "is increasing," so why isn't it "esté aumentando"?
While you could technically say esté aumentando, Spanish frequently uses the simple present (like aumente) to express ongoing actions. The progressive form is used less often in Spanish than in English, usually reserved for emphasizing that an action is in progress right at this exact second.
How does the long word "envejecimiento" break down?
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