Order in the court
Trials, testimonies, and jury deliberations are full of uncertainty. In Spanish, when you want to express doubt or skepticism about an action, you must use the subjunctive mood.
To state that a fact or event is generally uncertain, use the impersonal expression es dudoso que (it is doubtful that). Because this phrase introduces intrinsic doubt, the verb that follows que must be conjugated in the present subjunctive.
| It is doubtful that the accused tells the truth. | Es dudoso que el acusado diga la verdad. |
| Is it doubtful that the court will convict the murderer? | ¿Es dudoso que el tribunal condene a la asesina? |
Expressing personal doubt
If a specific person is the one who is skeptical, conjugate the verb dudar (to doubt) for that person, followed by que. Just like es dudoso que, this triggers the present subjunctive in the second half of the sentence.
| I doubt that the jury will acquit the accused. | Dudo que el jurado absuelva a la acusada. |
| The lawyer doubts that the prosecutor has another piece of evidence. | La abogada duda que el fiscal tenga otra prueba. |
Keep in mind that the present subjunctive is highly versatile. Depending on the context, you can use it to doubt actions happening right now, or actions that might happen in the near future.
| We doubt that the accused is committing a crime right now. | Dudamos que el acusado cometa un delito ahora mismo. |
| I doubt that the judge will send him to prison today. | Dudo que el juez lo mande a la cárcel hoy. |
