Is this subjunctive?

Question

I know that we use the subjunctive when there are two subjects: However, this sentence is still confusing: I know that he never cleans his car

Yo sé que él nunca limpie su coche

OR

Yo sé que él nunca limpia su coche

There are two subject Yo and el. Therefore, (limpiar) should be subjective?

Also can I assume that we ALWAYS use subjective when there are two subjectives?

Thanks.

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I voted for you because of the discussion you stimulated. Please fill out your profile and don't make your use of the forum a "one night stand." - Jubilado, Sep 2, 2015

Answer 1

Yo sé is is followed by the indicative.

No sé can be followed by the subjunctive.. Just Spanish!

mas claro agua. tienes mi voto. - 000a35ff, Sep 2, 2015

Gracas, txelsi, clear as mud, indeed. - annierats, Sep 3, 2015

Answer 2

I don't think this meets any of the requirements for subjunctive. The subjunctive often ends up with sentences containing two fragments, but that is not what makes them subjunctive. That is a symptom rather than a cause.

As far as I can tell it's just a statement of fact that he doesn't wash his car. If you expressed doubt that he washes his car then that would mean you did not have a statement of fact, but you say "Yo sé" which is a statement of fact.

I trust somebody will chime in if this is inaccurate.

New Spanish students are being taught something about 2 subjects that implies the subjunctive. I've seen this assumption here before. - Jubilado, Sep 2, 2015

Answer 3

My understanding of the subjunctive is that it's a 'mood' expressing uncertainty. Therefore, if you know for a fact that he never cleans/washes his car, I would say you don't need it. However, if you mean you don't think he ever cleans/washes his car, then you should use it (because then your expressing doubt).

However, I'm not native so I could very well be wrong.

I don't think you always use the subjunctive with two interdependent clauses. I don't think you use it with 'creer', for example (because you're asserting your belief of what you consider a fact), but you should use it when you put 'creer' in the negative (because then you're expressing doubt),

You could try and avoid it if possible. For example, you could simply remove the '(yo) sé' part of your sentence altogether without really altering its meaning.

To be frank (and I realise this sounds bad and language purists might wish to shoot me down in flames for it), I'm sure much of the time if you use the indicative when it should be the subjunctive or vice versa, most natives will understand what you mean from context anyway. It rarely makes much difference to the sense of a sentence anyway, and is often more stylistic in terms of how the sentence sounds.

To put it in an English context, strictly speaking only one of the following is correct:

• It is important that you be here on time.
• It is important that you are here on time.

However, only the most pedantic native English-speaker would point out the mistake, and it really doesn't make any difference to meaning.

Saber positive is followed by the indicative, normally, no saber que+ change of subject = subjunctive, I think, more or less, subjunctive, you know all a haze in the mind's eye.. - annierats, Sep 2, 2015

Falda: Ojalá que tengas razón, pero nosotros hablantes de inglés en utilizar el subjuntivo nos equivocaremos muchas veces. - Jubilado, Sep 2, 2015

Answer 4

You know it. There is not doubt, indicative.

Yo sé que él nunca limpia su coche. Él me lo ha dicho.

You are not sure...... then sudjuntive.

Dudo mucho que limpie su coche, siempre está sucio.