Breakdown of No nos parece que esas texturas desentonen.
no
no, not
ese
that (masculine)
que
that / than
nos
to us
parecer
to seem
la textura
the texture
desentonar
to clash
Questions & Answers about No nos parece que esas texturas desentonen.
Why is desentonen in the subjunctive here?
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?
Yes! The verb desentonar literally means 'to be out of tune', coming from tono, which means tone or pitch. While it is used for music, it is also widely used figuratively to describe anything that stands out in a bad way, does not fit in, or clashes. You can use it for mismatched colors, awkward remarks, or someone wearing a tuxedo to a casual beach party.
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