I don't think we can get what we are looking for here

Question

No creo que podamos encontrar lo que buscamos por aquí. Is this right, podamos because "creer que" appears to be a subjunctive trigger? Gracias.

Answer 1

The sentence is correct, but there is no such a thing as a "subjunctive trigger". You guys make it sound like a bomb full of traps, where if you cut the wrong cable, it explodes on you. Subjunctive is simply used when you do not intend to declare things. Look at the English sentence:

I don't think we can get what we are looking for here

Take the clause: "we can get what we are looking for here". Are you really saying that we get what we are looking for? I mean, that's what those words say. Do you mean that? Do you? No? Well... if you don't mean it, do not use indicative -use subjunctive!!!

That is the rule that explain 99% of all subjunctive uses. Forget about random explosive triggers.

I don't totally understand but OK. I translated get to "find" but I don't the only reason I imagine - jeezzle, Nov 1, 2010

podamos instead of podemos is because of the idea of a trigger with creer + que. I guess I don't see what you are saying. - jeezzle, Nov 1, 2010

Creer que is usually used in the indicative. No creer + que is usually used in the subjunctive. - Jack-OBrien, Nov 1, 2010

"No creer" can be in indicative perfectly! That's not a rule! - lazarus1907, Nov 1, 2010

I didn't say it was a rule. That's why I said "usually". Which in my mind means, it's pretty common. - Jack-OBrien, Nov 1, 2010

Fair enough, but it depends on what you call "normally". I'd say it depends on the conversation, even though subjunctive is statistically more likely. In any case, it is a suggestion that gives no insight into why subjunctive and not indicative. - lazarus1907, Nov 1, 2010

So, please tell me if I understand this correctly. If I said "No creo que podamos encontrarlo" I would be saying that I doubt we can find it, I think we probably won't be able to find it. - sagiia, Nov 1, 2010

Of course it depends on the conversation, and I do think statistically I'm safe. However, I submit to your knowledge, I just need to know what I said that was *wrong*. Thank you. - Jack-OBrien, Nov 1, 2010

On the other hand, if I said "No creo que podemos encontrarlo" I would be saying I believe without any doubt that we will not be able to find it. - sagiia, Nov 1, 2010

Answer 2

I don't totally understand but OK. I translated get to "find" but I don't the only reason I imagine

Ok, look at this sentence:

I don't think New York is in Africa.

Imagine that you are saying that sentence, and someone comes all of a sudden, but this person only hears the last part, highlighted in bold: New York is in Africa.

This person just head you say that New York is in Africa. Is that true? Did you mean to say that? This person will think that either you said something else before -and he missed it-,or that you are an ignorant, because New York is not in Africa.

In Spanish this cannot happen, because you can't say "New York is in Africa" using indicative... unless you mean it. If you don't mean it, you use subjunctive:

...NuevaYork esté en África

If I hear that, because it is in subjunctive, I know that you are not stating your opinion, but completing a sentence. In English you rely on context and word order; in Spanish we make this differentiation with moods.

Answer 3

So, please tell me if I understand this correctly. If I said "No creo que podamos encontrarlo" I would be saying that I doubt we can find it, I think we probably won't be able to find it. - sagiia 8 mins ago flag

Let's analyse this in English:

I don't think................................. we can find him.

Are you saying "We can find it" with that sentence? If your answer is yes, you must use indicative. If your answer is no, you use subjunctive.

On the other hand, if I said "No creo que podemos encontrarlo" I would be saying I believe without any doubt that we will not be able to find it. - sagiia 4 mins ago flag

You are saying that "We can find him" (we can find him), but before that you don't believe so. How is that possible? You should have never declared that "We can find him" in the first place with indicative.

So with this particular sentence it must be subjunctive. ? - sagiia, Nov 2, 2010

Answer 4

it sounds perfect to me...

Answer 5

The subordinate clause is negated by the main clause, so, grammatically speaking you have to use the subjunctive. We can get what we are looking for here?, No, I don't think so.

No, you don't! I can give you 10000 sentences with "no creer" in indicative, all of them pefectly grammatically speaking! - lazarus1907, Nov 1, 2010

No I don't what? I'm not talking about your 10000 sentences, I'm talking about *this* sentence, and *it* is in the subjunctive *because* of what I said in this post. I did *not* say it was a rule. - Jack-OBrien, Nov 1, 2010

Ok, let's not fight. Read your words: "The subordinate clause is negated by the main clause, so, grammatically speaking you have to use the subjunctive". I'm just saying that I can give you a negated subordinate clause after "creer" in indicative. - lazarus1907, Nov 1, 2010

In other words, negating the clause does not imply subjunctive, so I find your statement misleading in a way. - lazarus1907, Nov 1, 2010