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Verbos de Emoción (Verbs of Emotion)

Master verbs of emotion in Spanish. Learn the crucial grammatical rule: when to use the infinitive (same subject) versus when to use the present subjunctive (different subjects).

Verbs of Emotion: Infinitive vs. Subjunctive

In Spanish, when we express feelings, emotions, or reactions (such as joy, sadness, fear, anger, or surprise), the grammatical structure we choose is dictated by a strict rule. The golden question is: Who is doing the action? If the subject remains the same, we use the **Infinitive**. If the subject changes, we must use the **Subjunctive**.

1. Same Subject = Infinitive

👤 One Subject

If the person experiencing the emotion is the **same person** doing the secondary action, the two clauses are joined directly (sometimes using a preposition like *de*) followed by the **Infinitive**.

🚫 No 'Que' Allowed

Under this rule, do **not** use the word que to connect the clauses. The verb stays unconjugated.

Examples (Same Subject):

  • "Yo me alegro de viajar." (I am glad to travel. / I am glad that I am traveling. Subject: **Yo** feels, **Yo** travels).
  • "Temo llegar tarde." (I fear arriving late. Subject: **Yo** fears, **Yo** arrives).
  • "Nos molesta esperar tanto." (It bothers us to wait so long. Subject: **We** wait, **We** are bothered).
  • "Siento dar malas noticias." (I am sorry to give bad news. Subject: **Yo** feels sorry, **Yo** gives news).

2. Different Subjects = Subjunctive

👥 Two Subjects

If the person experiencing the emotion is **different** from the person doing the secondary action, we connect the clauses with que and conjugate the second verb in the Present Subjunctive.

🔑 The Trigger

The verb of emotion acts as a grammatical trigger. As soon as a new subject is introduced after que, the subjunctive is mandatory.

Examples (Different Subjects):

  • "Yo me alegro de que viajes." (I am glad that **you** travel. Subjects: **Yo** feels, **Tú** travels → Subjunctive).
  • "Temo que él llegue tarde." (I fear that **he** will arrive late. Subjects: **Yo** fears, **Él** arrives → Subjunctive).
  • "Nos molesta que la gente hable fuerte." (It bothers us that **people** speak loudly. Subjects: **We** feel bothered, **People** speak → Subjunctive).
  • "Siento que tú tengas problemas." (I'm sorry that **you** have problems. Subjects: **Yo** feels sorry, **Tú** has → Subjunctive).

3. Common Verbs of Emotion

Use these verbs with the same rule:

VerbMeaningWith Infinitive (Same Subject)With Subjunctive (Diff. Subject)
alegrarse (de)to be gladMe alegro de estar aquí.Me alegro de que estés aquí.
molestarto botherMe molesta levantarme temprano.Me molesta que te levantes tarde.
sentir (e-ie)to feel sorry / regretSiento interrumpir.Siento que no puedas venir.
tener miedo deto be afraid ofTengo miedo de caer.Tengo miedo de que caigas.
gustar / encantarto like / loveMe gusta bailar.Me gusta que bailes conmigo.
sorprenderto surpriseMe sorprende saber eso.Me sorprende que sepas eso.

Ponte a Prueba

Reto 1: Completa la Reacción

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Read the sentence carefully, check the subjects, and select either the Infinitive or Subjunctive verb form.

Reto 2: Estructura del Sujeto

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