Word
No creo que notes lo espantoso que es ese estampado.
Meaning
I don't believe you notice how hideous that print is.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of No creo que notes lo espantoso que es ese estampado.
ser
to be
no
no, not
ese
that (masculine)
que
that / than
Questions & Answers about No creo que notes lo espantoso que es ese estampado.
Why do we use the subjunctive notes instead of the indicative notas?
The sentence begins with No creo que (I don't believe that). Verbs of opinion and perception like creer, pensar, and parecer usually take the indicative when they are affirmative, because you are declaring what you believe to be a fact. However, when you make them negative (no creer que), you are introducing doubt or denying a reality, which triggers the subjunctive in the following clause. Therefore, we use the subjunctive notes.
If the sentence starts with No creo que, why isn't the final verb es also in the subjunctive?
The negative opinion trigger No creo que only affects the verb in its immediate subordinate clause (que notes). The hideousness of the print is an established fact to the speaker; they aren't doubting that it is hideous, they are only doubting that you notice it. Because the speaker is treating the hideousness as a reality, the indicative es is correct.
How does the phrase lo espantoso que work to mean 'how hideous'?
In English, we use 'how' plus an adjective to express intensity ('how big', 'how hideous'). In Spanish, you cannot use cómo this way. Instead, you use the formula lo plus the adjective plus que. So, lo espantoso que es acts as a noun phrase that practically means 'how hideous it is'.
Could I use instead of in this sentence?