Ni que + subjunctive....form sentences in English and Spanish ""updated""

Question

Patch was asking me only yesterday what this expression meant on this thread:

¡¡Ni que tuvieran castañuelas!

The structure: ..

ni que + imperfecto de subjunctive

means something like:

*you'd think + subj + subjunctive (past simple)."

¿Vas a comprarte otro coche?

No puedo, ¡ni que fuera rica!

Are you going to buy a new car?

Yeah, right, you'd think I were rich!

Post an English sentence the next member has to translate and finish with the correct given structure.

For example:

There were so many people on the street you'd think ......

• good one Heidita, I didn't know that "you'd think" - Dakie Nov 29, 2010
• You'd think I was rich. - Leatha Nov 29, 2010
• Nice, new one for me too, gracias :) - Kiwi_Girl Nov 29, 2010
• I was reading about English subjunctive a few days ago, and even though in everyday speech people would usually say 'you'd think I was', it appears that the correct way is 'I were' (but of course I could be wrong) - bill1111 Nov 30, 2010
• I changed it lea...can you provide a grammar rule for that? - Heidita Nov 30, 2010
View 4 more commments >>

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Answer 1

Había tantas muchas personnas en la calle ni que Real había ganada.

Heidita was so upset that you would think.......

• jejej, ¡¡qué malo!!...tanta gente en la calle ...ni que el Real Madrid hubiera ganado, look at the structure gary!!!!! - Heidita Nov 30, 2010
• Actually I meant to write habían thinking "they had won" but apparently even my typo would have been wrong. Ni que supiera ahora. - Yeser007 Nov 30, 2010

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Answer 2

Given: Why is he walking so slow? You'd think that he was ninety!

Translation: ¿Por qué camina tan despacio? Ni que tuviera noventa años
(Could you use "noventa tacos" here or would that sound odd?)

New Sentence He's put on so much weight, you would think that...

• no, eso es correcto, de hecho lo usamos cuando queremos exagerar la edad - Heidita Dec 1, 2010

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Answer 3

Look at the woman he is with?

You'd think he had won the lottery.

• Mire a la mujer con quién está? *

Ni que hubiera ganado el lotería.

• Is the first bit a question? - Kiwi_Girl Nov 29, 2010
• yes, teh frist part a question or some kind of statement, here it is a statement actually - Heidita Nov 30, 2010
• mejor: con quien está - Heidita Nov 30, 2010

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Answer 4

Tiene cinco gatos, tres perros, dos periquitos y un conejo. ¡Ni que viviera en un zoológico!

She has five cats, three dogs, two parakeets and a rabbit. You'd think she lives in a zoo!

(Great exercise, Heidita! Thanks. I didn't know this.)

• Heidi said, + subjunctive (past simple) viviera - Eddy Nov 30, 2010
• indeed, viviera!! - Heidita Nov 30, 2010
• ...Thanks, I've been away too long...I've missed the dunces corner ;) - alba3 Nov 30, 2010

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Answer 5

¿Por qué me gritas? ¡Ni que fuera sordo!

"Why do you yell at me? It's as if I were deaf!"

• as if I were deaf...why in present simple? as far as I know the structure is the same as in Spanish - Heidita Nov 30, 2010
• yes that works too, I was just trying to make more of a 'real' conversation - I wouldn't say 'it's as if I were deaf' - I'd say - 'do you think I'm deaf or something!' :) Trying to find a compromise je je - Kiwi_Girl Nov 30, 2010

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Answer 6

Encontré éste por Facebook..

¡No más calendarios! Ni que uno no supiera el mes en que nació.

• perfecto...inglés?? - Heidita Nov 30, 2010

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Answer 7

There were so many people on the street you'd think it was Christmas Eve.
Había tanta gente en la calle ni que fuera la Noche Buena.

• ni que fuera..."Noche Buena" - Heidita Nov 30, 2010
• jason, please read the instructions, you must provide an English sentence!! - Heidita Nov 30, 2010
• Ooops, I only had a couple of minutes! :) Besos - Jason7R Nov 30, 2010

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Answer 8

Given sentence:

There were so many people on the street that you would think....

Translation:

Había tanta gente en la calle ni que fuera la Noche Buena.

New sentence:

How much did that bracelet cost?

This plastic jewelry cost so much that you'd think....

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Answer 9

He's put on so much weight, you would think that he were eating only French fries and hamburgers.

Ha engordado mucho, ni que haya comido namás patatas fritas y hamburguesas.

New sentence Everyday when you get up in Oaxaca it's so noisy on the street that you would think.....

• Well, I know neither the English structure nor Spanish one. So, I'm not sure about my post at all. - bomberapolac Nov 30, 2010
• bomber, look at the structure yours does not follow the correct stucture - Heidita Nov 30, 2010

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Answer 10

Ni que fuera tan poderoso? En realidad es muy ordinario.

You'd thing he is so powerful? actually he is very ordinary person.

• no, that does not work, you are surprised, shocked stunned...when you use this expression - Heidita Nov 30, 2010

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Answer 11

No viajo por avión ni que me paguen.

You culdn't pay me to fly by airplane.

• does not follow the structure - Heidita Nov 30, 2010

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Answer 12

I think these are all adverbial clauses where the subject changes, therefore the subjunctive is required. Does Heidi (la experta jeje) would agree / disagree with me?

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Answer 13

Ok, as some people as usual do not have time to read the thread ...

I will provide a given sentence the next member has to finish and translate and provide a new sentence:

There were so many people on the street that you would think....

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Answer 14

Given sentence:

How much did that bracelet cost?

This plastic jewelry cost so much that you'd think....

Translation:

¿Cuánto costó ese brazelete?

Esta joyería plástica cuesta tanto ¡ni que fuera de oro!

New sentence:

Why is he walking so slow?

You'd think that he was ninety!

• should it be tanto (b/c of joyeria) or tanto (b/c of dinero) or algo mas? - Goldie_Miel Nov 30, 2010
• Maybe: costó tanto dinero ¡ni que fuese de oro! - Izanoni1 Nov 30, 2010
• sorry, I meant "tantA" for joyeria. Could I just use tanto alone (without dinero)? Also, why "fuese" and not "fuera"? - Goldie_Miel Nov 30, 2010
• Thank you - Goldie_Miel Nov 30, 2010
• Shouldn't "slow" be "slowly", since it is an adverb? - dogwood Nov 30, 2010

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Answer 15

¡Ni sueñes con escapar! Luego se dio a la fuga

Don't even dream about escaping.He escaped.

• this is not the same structure...we are talking about ni que....not only ni, read the thread hecho;) - Heidita Nov 30, 2010

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