Word
La norma es que vayas con el uniforme.
Meaning
The rule is that you go in uniform.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of La norma es que vayas con el uniforme.
ser
to be
con
with / just by (+ -ing)
ir
to go
que
that (relative pronoun, conjunction)
Questions & Answers about La norma es que vayas con el uniforme.
Why is the subjunctive vayas used after La norma es que?
The phrase La norma es que (The rule is that) expresses an obligation, command, or expectation. Just like with es necesario que, this triggers the subjunctive because it is telling someone what they must do, rather than just stating an objective fact.
How can I remember that vayas comes from the verb ir?
The verb ir (to go) is completely irregular in the present subjunctive. However, its subjunctive root (vay-) is very similar to its present indicative forms like voy, vas, and va. To get the subjunctive for tú, it takes the irregular vay- stem and adds the opposite ending -as, giving us vayas.
Could I use the indicative vas here instead?
Using the indicative vas would change the meaning completely. La norma es que vas sounds like you are declaring a fact: "The rule is the fact that you are going." To express that the rule requires you to go, you must use the subjunctive vayas.
Why does it say con el uniforme instead of en el uniforme for "in uniform"?
In English, we say someone is dressed "in" a uniform or "in" a certain color. In Spanish, when describing how someone is dressed or what they are wearing, you usually use the preposition con (with). You are literally saying that you go "with the uniform."