Expressing Fear

Imagine you are at a restaurant. You are afraid the waiter will forget your spicy salsa. In English, we say "I'm afraid that he *forgets*." In Spanish, we switch gears. When you express an emotion about someone else, the second verb flips. This is the heart of the Subjunctive mood. You have two parts to your sentence. Part one is your feeling: Tengo miedo (I have fear). Part two is the thing you fear: que traiga mucha salsa (that he brings a lot of salsa). Because you are not 100% sure it will happen, Spanish uses the Subjunctive. It is like a grammar safety net for things that aren't facts yet. If you are talking about yourself, it is easier. But when a second person enters the mix, the Subjunctive joins the party.

1. 1Building these sentences is like assembling a cool Lego set. Follow these steps:
2. 2The Fear Phrase: Start with Tener miedo de or Temer. For example, Tengo miedo de....
3. 3The Connector: Always add que. It acts like the glue between your fear and the action.
4. 4The New Subject: Mention who you are worried about. mi amigo, el jefe, tú.
5. 5The Verb Flip: Change the ending of the second verb.
6. 6For -ar verbs, use -e. (hablar becomes hable).
7. 7For -er and -ir verbs, use -a. (comer becomes coma).
8. 8It is a simple swap! Think of it as a verb costume party. The verbs just want to dress up because things are getting emotional.

You use this pattern whenever your fear is directed at an action done by someone else.

• Social Situations: You fear your friend will arrive late to the movies. Tengo miedo de que llegues tarde.
• Travel: You are worried the plane will leave without you. Temo que el avión salga ya.
• Work: You are afraid the boss will be angry. Tengo miedo de que el jefe esté enojado.
• Daily Life: You fear it might rain during your picnic. Temo que llueva.

Basically, if there is a "que" and a new person doing something, reach for that Subjunctive! It shows you are talking about possibilities, not boring old facts.

Don't overcomplicate things! If you are the one doing the scary thing, keep it simple. Use the Infinitive (the basic verb).

• Correct: Tengo miedo de caer (I'm afraid of falling).
• Incorrect: Tengo miedo de que yo caiga (This sounds like a robot trying to be human).

Also, if you are just afraid of an object, you don't need any of this. Tengo miedo a las arañas (I'm afraid of spiders) is just a normal sentence. No verb flip needed for poor spiders. They have enough legs to worry about. Only use the Subjunctive when there is a full action involved after the que.

The biggest trap is forgetting the de. Many people say Tengo miedo que.... It sounds okay, but it's like eating a taco without a tortilla. It's messy! Always remember: Tener miedo de que. Another classic is using the normal present tense. If you say Temo que tú vienes, a native speaker will understand, but their ears might twitch. It should be vengas. Think of the Subjunctive as the "emotional filter." If you are feeling fear, the verb must change. Finally, don't confuse temer (to fear) with tener (to have). They sound similar but do different jobs.

How is this different from just saying "I think you are late"?

• Fact (Indicative): Pienso que llegas tarde (I think you are late). You are stating a thought about a reality.
• Fear (Subjunctive): Temo que llegues tarde (I fear you might be late). You are expressing an emotion about a possibility.

The Subjunctive adds that layer of "maybe" and "feeling." It is less about what is happening and more about how you feel about what *might* happen. It is the difference between a news report and a heart-to-heart conversation.