Why subjunctive in these phrases?

Question

Por fin he encontrado un remedio infallible que borre toda la culpa

Tienes una cosita que brille, que sobresale (especially this one, why is brillar subj and sobresalir not?) Would this be subj b/c it's his opinion, the "cosita"?

I'm familiar with most of the subjunctive rules but why in these 2 particular phrases? Thanks.

Answer 1

I'm familiar with most of the subjunctive rules but why in these 2 particular phrases? Thanks.

You're probably familiar with subjunctive "rules" that simply don't work, and that's why you can't make sense out of them. Let's see:

Por fin he encontrado un remedio infallible que borre toda la culpa

It is very unusual to use subjunctive here. Very very unusual. You'd normally use indicative because you clearly want to declare that "it erases all guilt". Using subjunctive would be understood like a refusal to specifically wanting to declare it: you've found a remedy, but you don't want to commit yourself to saying that it actually works... after saying that it is infallible!!!! As I said, it may be possible, but I would not use subjunctive here.

Tienes una cosita que brille, que sobresale (especially this one, why is brillar subj and sobresalir not?) Would this be subj b/c it's his opinion, the "cosita"?

"Brille" is in subjunctive because you can't declare that something shines before you even know whether there is such a thing. Indicative here would be impossible, which begs the question why on Earth is "sobresale" in indicative -it should be in subjunctive: "sobresalga."

By the way: I only use one main rule for subjunctive.

• Por cierto: ¿Qué es eso una regla principal de subjuntivo? - lynneweixel Sep 23, 2010
• Something along the lines of - when you don't want to specifically make any declaration. - Kiwi_Girl Sep 25, 2010

Answer 2

I think this is because the speaker evidently has a strong wish that the remedy will get rid of the blame/guilt. So the mood of the sentence is somewhat emotional.

Let's clarify this once and for all: emotions does not mean the you have to use the subjunctive. That sentence would be 99.9% of the time in indicative. The use of subjunctive there is an expressive licence (like a poetic licence), or simply a mistake.

• Thanks for clarifying Lazarus, this is very hard to get to grips with. :/ - galsally Sep 25, 2010

Answer 3

The second sentence is wrong:

¿Tienes una cosita que brille, que sobresalga?. or Tienes una cosita que brilla, que sobresale.

• Is there a specific rule here or just a case of an opinion or not for the 2 phrases together? - MaureenPeter Sep 23, 2010
• Wrong. See Lazarus's answer, which is correct as to both verbs. - ConstanciaRo Sep 23, 2010
• You can use indicative in both, but then you'll be declaring that the thing shines, which means you know such a thing exists, and you're just teasing the other person by asking about something you know it exists, as if you wanted to remind this person. - lazarus1907 Sep 23, 2010

Answer 4

I want this to be bumped because I don't know either... we are always returning to the subjunctive! I'll have a guess anyway.

1)

Por fin he encontrado un remedio infallible que borre toda la culpa

I think this is because the speaker evidently has a strong wish that the remedy will get rid of the blame/guilt. So the mood of the sentence is somewhat emotional.

2)

Tienes una cosita que brille, que sobresale

Should this be a question? If so, both verbs should be in the subjunctive surely, because it isn't known whether or not such an object exists?

Whatever the case, I think both brillar and sobresalir should be in the same mood and tense, so as liloman says, I think it is an incorrect sentence But what do I know .

This page from AboutSpanish might be useful to peruse too.

link text

• Here's a game for 'Subjunctive' practice too: http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/157162/g-a-m-e-the-subjunctive/newest - Kiwi_Girl Sep 25, 2010

Answer 5

Hmmm, see both those seemed funny to me too but I'm nowhere near an authority on the subj yet, and they're both from songs by natives (one is Shakira) so I was just trying to figure out the usage. But I guess my confusion was well founded! Thanks!