Double subjunctive

Question

Do you ever have to use the subjunctive twice in the same sentence?

For example: "Can you ask mom to pick up Sara at school." I would translate to:

"¿Puedes pedir mama que recoja Sara de la escuela?"

However, if I say, "I want you to ask mom to pick up Sara," would I translate that to:

"Quiero que pidas mama que recoja Sara"?

Good translations! However you should remember to use "a" in your sentences. - acost91, May 11, 2014

"¿Puedes pedir a mamá que recoja a Sara de la escuela?" "Quiero que pidas a mamá que recoja a Sara" - acost91, May 11, 2014

Answer 1

pídale a tu mama que recoja a Sara en la escuela.

Answer 2

Espero que ellos vengan para que puedan ver el niño.

Answer 3

Remember to use "a" always before indirect object and before direct object when is a person or a pet.

a+ indirect object a+ direct object: people or pets

¿Puedes pedir a mamá (indirect) que recoja a Sara (direct) de la escuela? Quiero que le pidas a mamá (indirect) que recoja a Sara (direct).

Remember: when you have a indirect object and you are conjugating the verb you need to use also the pronoun: quiero que LE pidas a mamá. Another example: Le dije a Pedro que estaba enferma.

Sometimes we can omit that pronoun but only with some verbs: Escribo a mi amiga. Le escribo a mi amiga. But we'd never say: Dije a Pedro but Le dije a Pedro.

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thanks a lot. i do get lazy with those little things more than i should. - bromley365, May 12, 2014

Answer 4

In English we could say any one of the following:

Can you ask .... Puedes pedir ....

Will you ask ... Podrás pedir ...

Would you ask ... Podrías pedir ...

I would like you to ask .... Me gustaría que pidas ...

The first and the last are fairly common. The middle two far less common. The first is indicative as it is a question. The last is conditional/subjunctive.

So if you use the last and attach your other subjunctive phrase I believe (I am a non-native speaker) that you can have two subjunctives in the same sentence.

Me gustaría que pidas a mamá que recoja a Sara de la escuela.

What about "could you ask..." ? hmmm? - chileno, May 11, 2014

Yes. There are so many ways and sometimes we get ourselves stuck in one when another is much easier to express. - gringojrf, May 11, 2014

Answer 5

Quiero que le pidas a mamá que recoja a Sara de la escuela.

I want you to ask mom to pick up Sarah from school.

So...I forgot 'le' and 'a' but basically my translation with the two subjunctives was correct? - bromley365, May 12, 2014

Yes. - chileno, May 12, 2014