What is missing, what is enough
Faltar and bastar can take a whole clause as their subject. Use the infinitive when the doer is general, or is the person in me, te, le (Me basta con verte: just seeing you is enough for me), and que + subjunctive when someone else has to do it. Bastar usually comes with con.
| infinitive | que + subjunctive |
|---|---|
| Falta firmar el contrato. | Falta que firmes aquí. |
| No basta con pedir perdón. | Basta con que me avises un día antes. |
| Dinner is done; all that's left is for the guests to arrive. | La cena está hecha; falta que lleguen los invitados. |
The guests have to do it, so que lleguen.
| It's enough for you to let me know a day before. | Basta con que me avises un día antes. |
All you have to do is…: a small condition, nothing more.
Queda claro que, resulta raro que
Quedar claro que states a fact, so it takes the indicative, like está claro que. Resultar + adjective works like ser + adjective: a judgment takes the subjunctive, while evidente and claro take the indicative.
| It's clear that you don't want to come. | Queda claro que no quieres venir. |
A conclusion drawn from what happened: indicative.
| It's strange that she hasn't called yet. | Resulta raro que no haya llamado todavía. |
Raro is a judgment, so haya llamado.
| It was evident that he was lying. | Resultaba evidente que mentía. |
Evidente presents a fact, so mentía.
Negated, claro and evidente switch to the subjunctive: No está claro que quiera venir.
Lo bueno es que…
Lo + adjective + es que puts the key point first: lo bueno, lo malo, lo peor. It usually takes the indicative, because you present a fact. Lo mejor es que + subjunctive gives advice; with the indicative it is a fact like the others (Lo mejor es que ganamos: the best part is that we won).
| The good thing is that nobody got hurt. | Lo bueno es que nadie se hizo daño. |
A fact you are glad about.
| The best thing is for you to tell him. | Lo mejor es que se lo digas tú. |
Advice, so digas.
Lo que pasa es que…
Lo que pasa es que (the thing is) explains, or excuses, often right after a refusal.
| I'd love to go; the thing is I don't have any money. | Me encantaría ir; lo que pasa es que no tengo dinero. |
A polite no: first the wish, then the reason.
| It's not that I don't want to; the thing is I don't have time. | No es que no quiera; lo que pasa es que no tengo tiempo. |
It pairs naturally with no es que: the wrong reason, then the real one.
