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No dudo (de) que

No dudo (de) que

7
votes

Hello all!

I have done some research on the following issue but have not been able to find a definitive answer and was hoping that one of our grammar gurus might be able to lend a little insight. Here's my problem

I have noticed that in many newspapers and journals, the expression No dudo (de) que is often followed by the subjunctive:

?No dudo que el cargo de presidente sea un puesto ingrato

?No dudo que haya negociaciones temporales con determinado grupo o cártel con fines específicos.

?No dudo que esto sea idea suya

?No dudo que Google tenga alguna buena intención para no abrir el “beta”

On the other hand, there are plenty of examples in which it is followed by the indicative as well:

?No dudo de que recibirá minutos de juego

?No dudo que va a ser un gran senador nacional

?No dudo que debe haber organizaciones integradas por hombres y mujeres defendiendo la vida.

?No dudo que puede llegar a tener la corona del quinto rey, pero no todavía

My question is what is the difference (if any) between using one over the other? Would it be fair to say that the indicative is used to assert or declare what one thinks or believes (will happen) while the subjunctive is used to convey one's attitude or stance on something? What am I missing here?

Thanks for any and all help tongue laugh

17200 views
updated Dec 22, 2011
posted by Izanoni1
Really good question! You got some interesting answers and I learned from this! Thanks! - MLucie, Dec 2, 2011

7 Answers

6
votes

There is a bit of lack of agreements among grammarians regarding this point, but the "norma culta" has a certain preference for indicative in negative sentences with "dudar", although no one (that I know of) categorically dismisses the subjunctive. Much of the controversy is about the differences between both moods (or lack of).

Indicative makes perfect sense if you have no doubts whatsoever, and subjunctive will be illogical in many cases, but when you refer to other people's beliefs, you can always refrain from declaring the content of the subordinate and remain neutral:

No duda que tengan mucho dinero.

In the above sentence, the other person might have no doubts about it, but I personally prefer not to say what I think about the truth of such thing.

When you use the first person, it is also possible to use subjunctive, and this is particularly used when you are about to give a counterexample or refute the other person's argument, despite the concession in "I don't doubt that..."

The RAE in its latest grammar comments on the differences between the choice of mood in this cases, and they are all consistent with the usual "declarative" interpretation that I give.

Summing up: according to linguists and the RAE, both moods are correct... if the mood makes sense in the sentence, of course.

updated Dec 22, 2011
edited by lazarus1907
posted by lazarus1907
Isn't it a little od to declare "I do not doubt" and then use subjunctive which is saying you do doubt. It's like a contradiction. - dewclaw, Aug 4, 2011
It's like I said "No dudo que tengas novia" - this you say to a ugly and or gay person, you jmight have personal doubts but you don't feel the desire to express them. - jeezzle, Aug 4, 2011
I dont get it, jezzle, so you say, i have no doubt you have a girfriend and there is some personal doubt? no idea what you are talking about - 00494d19, Aug 4, 2011
Because, think of a gay guy who CLAims to have a girlfriend, you're like "yeah I don't doubt that you have a girlfriend" in like, I don't doubt your claim (but you really do doubt it, because it seems unlikely but you would rather not be upfront about it) - jeezzle, Aug 4, 2011
hmmm, in this case, I would actually use tienes...no dudo de que tienes novia...like saying, sure, you have a gf, who doubts that, not me! - 00494d19, Aug 4, 2011
Oh, is it because you don't want him to know you are doubting it? .... ;) - jeezzle, Aug 4, 2011
Thank you, Lazarus. What you say makes a lot of sense, especially in regards to the use of the subjunctive to concede a point (followed by a counterexample). - Izanoni1, Aug 4, 2011
4
votes

Isn't it a little od to declare "I do not doubt" and then use subjunctive which is saying you do doubt. It's like a contradiction. - dewclaw

You see, when you use that construction, you are declaring that you don't doubt it -i.e. you don't think it is false-, but with subjunctive you don't declare it either. This is a kind of "I do not deny it completely, but I "might" (not that you do, but you might) have some mental reservations about its validity, even if it is factual". In other words, it is a subtle way to dissent without directly saying that you disagree. If politicians in Spain were not semi-illiterate, they would love this subtle resource to deny things without making it explicit.

updated Dec 2, 2011
edited by lazarus1907
posted by lazarus1907
1
vote

Izan, ¿ has visto esto del RAE?

dudar. 1. Cuando significa ‘tener dudas o desconfiar’, puede construirse de dos modos:a) Como intransitivo, con un complemento introducido por de: Dudo de su honestidad. Esta es la única construcción posible cuando el complemento verbal es un sustantivo (no se dice *Dudo su honestidad). Si el complemento es una oración subordinada introducida por la conjunción que, es correcto el empleo conjunto de la preposición y la conjunción: Dudo de que sea honesto.

b) Como transitivo. En este caso, el complemento verbal es directo y se construye sin preposición. Esta es la construcción habitual cuando el complemento es una oración subordinada introducida por la conjunción que o un pronombre átono de tercera persona: Dudo que haya dicho la verdad; Lo dudo. Pero también es correcta, en estos casos, la construcción con preposición (? 1a): Dudo de que haya dicho la verdad; Dudo de ello. 2. Con el sentido de ‘vacilar o estar indeciso’, se usa normalmente como intransitivo y se construye preferentemente con las preposiciones en o entre (esta última, cuando se hacen explícitas las distintas opciones): No dudes en acudir a mí si tienes problemas; Dudo entre ir o no ir. Pero se usa como transitivo cuando el complemento es un pronombre o una oración interrogativa indirecta introducida por la conjunción si: Cómprate esa casa, no lo dudes; Aún duda si comprarse un abrigo nuevo.

updated Aug 4, 2011
posted by 00494d19
Yes. Thank you. I had seen this reference. However, I was not confused on this point but on the use of indicative vs subjunctive. - Izanoni1, Aug 4, 2011
1
vote

El dequeismo (de + que) es un cáncer en el español, mucha gente lo usa sin saber que está cometiendo un error, incluye períodicos, revistas, incluso la gente cuando habla.

Yo por lo general lo evito, porque suena mal. De todas formas.

Te invito a que revises esta página de la Real Academia Española para entender un poco mejor.

http://buscon.rae.es/dpdI/SrvltConsulta?lema=dequeismo

Saludos. Espero que te sirva grin

updated Aug 4, 2011
posted by Animalescus
Pero si "No dudo de tu palabra" es correcto con la preposición "de", entonces puedes usar infinitivos y subordinadas con la misma preposición, así que no hay dequeísmo. - lazarus1907, Aug 4, 2011
Eso es correcto, pero fíjate que ahí no estás cayendo en el de+que, está mal decir "No dudo de que tu palabra", a eso me refiero :D - Animalescus, Aug 4, 2011
Cuando empiezas un "que", tienes que usar un verbo, y tu ejemplo no tiene uno. Pero "No dudo de que tu palabra es de fiar" es español correcto. - lazarus1907, Aug 4, 2011
1
vote

My guess is that since you don't have the full information, dudo que (dudo de que) is like you don't doubt that......the job of president is hard and thankless (but how you can know for sure?)

No dudo que tengas novia (pero nunca la he visto)

No dudo de que tengas tus razones personales (pero no sé precisamente, no soy tú)

Just my guess. Gracias.

updated Aug 4, 2011
posted by jeezzle
jeezle, can you correct krassa, thanks - 00494d19, Aug 4, 2011
0
votes

modo

~ indicativo.

  1. m. Gram. El que enuncia como real lo expresado por el verbo.

~ subjuntivo.

  1. m. Gram. El que manifiesta lo expresado por el verbo con marcas que indican la subjetividad.

Creo que el verbo dudar expresa a menudo una subjetividad. Por lo tanto es natural que el complemento se exprese en subjuntivo en estos casos.

Cuando el que habla tiene la certeza de lo que afirma, puede usar el modo indicativo:

No dudo de que dices la verdad. (Estoy seguro de que así es).

Dudo de que digas la verdad (No estoy seguro de que no mientes, tengo duda).

updated Aug 4, 2011
posted by LuisCache
0
votes

You have right and don't stress with "No dudo que" because the it's sense it's is really simple.

The sentence serves to say convey both means, is used for convey one's attitude on about something and/or at the same time to declare that one thing will happen.

The more literal translation is: "I don't have any doub doubt"... is it Does this one have both meanings?


Tu tienes razón y no te estreses con "No dudo que" por qué el sentido es realmente simple.

La oración sirve para indicar ambos significados, es usado para destacar lo que uno piensa de algo y/o al mismo tiempo puede servir para indicar que algo podría pasar.

La traducción literal es "I don't have doub"... Tiene esta ambos significados?

updated Aug 4, 2011
edited by Krassa
posted by Krassa
Izan, please correct krassa, thanks - 00494d19, Aug 4, 2011
...one's attitude about something...could happen. "I don't have any doubt..." Does this one have both meanings? - StephenTrevor, Aug 4, 2011
You are right, but don't stress over "No dudo que" because its sense is really simple. - StephenTrevor, Aug 4, 2011
The sentence serves to convey both meanings, is used to convey one's attitude... - StephenTrevor, Aug 4, 2011
doubt - 0074b507, Aug 4, 2011