Learn Spanish (Latin America): No nos parece que esas texturas desentonen. - It doesn't seem to us that those textures clash.

No nos parece que esas texturas desentonen.

It doesn't seem to us that those textures clash.

Breakdown of No nos parece que esas texturas desentonen.

Questions & Answers about No nos parece que esas texturas desentonen.

Why is desentonen in the subjunctive here?

It is triggered by the phrase no nos parece que. When verbs of perception or opinion like parecer, creer, or pensar are used in the negative, they introduce a layer of doubt or subjectivity. Because the speaker is denying a perception, the verb in the following clause must be in the subjunctive.

If we remove the no and just say that it does seem like they clash, do we still use the subjunctive?

No, you would switch back to the indicative and say Nos parece que esas texturas desentonan. When parecer is affirmative, you are declaring what you perceive to be a reality, so it takes the indicative. It is the addition of the negative no that casts doubt and triggers the subjunctive.

Why do we use nos parece instead of a conjugated form like nosotros no parecemos?

In this context, parecer functions similarly to the verb gustar. The literal translation is 'It does not seem to us.' The subject of the main clause is an unspoken 'it' representing the entire idea that the textures clash, and nos is the indirect object pronoun showing who is experiencing this perception.

The verb desentonar translates to 'clash' here. Can it be used for things other than visual textures?