Breakdown of ¡Qué bueno que la linterna ilumine la cavidad!
qué
what
que
that / than
la
the (feminine)
bueno
good
la linterna
flashlight
la cavidad
cavity / cave
iluminar
to illuminate
Questions & Answers about ¡Qué bueno que la linterna ilumine la cavidad!
Why do we use the subjunctive ilumine here instead of the indicative ilumina?
The phrase ¡Qué bueno que...! expresses a subjective opinion or evaluation. In Spanish, whenever you use a structure like this to express how you feel about a specific action, the verb that follows must be in the subjunctive.
Would it ever be correct to say ¡Qué buena que...! to match the feminine noun la linterna?
Could I use an infinitive and say ¡Qué bueno iluminar la cavidad!?
You can only use the infinitive if you are making a general statement without a specific subject doing the action. Because this sentence specifies that the flashlight (la linterna) is doing the illuminating, you have to use que followed by a conjugated subjunctive verb.
Does linterna translate to lantern in English?
It most commonly means flashlight. If you want to talk about a lantern, such as a camping lantern or a decorative street lamp, you would typically use the word farol or lámpara.
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