Breakdown of Dudo que la corteza y la miga hayan quedado bien.
y
and
bien
well
que
that / than
haber
(auxiliary) have
dudar
to doubt
quedar
to turn out / end up
la corteza
the crust
la miga
crumb (of bread)
Questions & Answers about Dudo que la corteza y la miga hayan quedado bien.
Why does quedado mean "turned out" here? Doesn't quedar usually mean "to stay" or "to have left"?
While quedar is often used for "to stay" or "to be left over," using quedar followed by an adverb or adjective (like bien, mal, or rico) is the standard way to describe the final result of a process. In English, this translates perfectly to how something "turned out," especially regarding food or creative projects.
Why use the present perfect subjunctive (hayan quedado) instead of the present subjunctive (queden)?
The sequence of tenses dictates this choice. The baking process is already finished, so we need a past-oriented tense to express that they "have turned out" well. However, the main verb expressing doubt (dudo) is in the present. The present perfect subjunctive (hayan quedado) bridges these by expressing a present doubt about a recently completed action.
Does dudo que always trigger the subjunctive?
Yes, dudo que (I doubt that) expresses uncertainty or disbelief, which requires the subjunctive in the dependent clause. Interestingly, if you make it negative—no dudo que (I don't doubt that)—it expresses certainty, so it would be followed by the indicative: No dudo que la corteza y la miga quedaron bien.
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