Subjunctive Mood for Expressing Feelings

The subjunctive mood is all about subjectivity. It lives in the world of "maybe" and "I feel." It usually requires two different people in one sentence. You are person A, and you have a feeling. Person B is doing something that triggers that feeling. You connect these two people with the word que. It acts like a bridge between your heart and their actions. For example, you might be happy that a friend is visiting. Your happiness is the main clause. Their visit is the trigger. Because it is your personal reaction, the verb changes its form. It is like a grammar traffic light. The feeling turns the light green for the subjunctive.

1. 1Creating these verbs is easier than it looks. You just need to follow three simple steps. Think of it as a "verb swap" game.
2. 2Start with the eu form of the present tense. For falar, it is falo. For comer, it is como.
3. 3Remove the o at the end. Now you have the stem: fal- or com-.
4. 4Add the "opposite" endings.
5. 5For -ar verbs, use -e endings: eu fale, você fale, nós falemos, vocês falem.
6. 6For -er and -ir verbs, use -a endings: eu coma, você coma, nós comamos, vocês comam.
7. 7Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes! If you get the ending wrong, people will still understand you. But getting it right makes you sound like a pro. Just remember: ar becomes e, and er/ir becomes a. It is a simple switcheroo.

You use this pattern whenever an emotion triggers a sentence. Here are some real-world scenarios to help you visualize it.

• Expressing Joy: You are at a party. You say, Fico feliz que você esteja aqui. (I am happy you are here). Your joy triggers the change in estar to esteja.
• Expressing Sadness: You hear bad news. Sinto muito que ele esteja doente. (I'm sorry he is sick).
• Expressing Fear: You are worried about a job interview. Tenho medo que eles não gostem de mim. (I'm afraid they won't like me).
• Expressing Surprise: You didn't expect a gift. Estranho que você me dê um presente hoje. (It's strange that you are giving me a gift today).
• Expressing Regret: You missed a meeting. Lamento que eu não possa ir. (I regret that I cannot go).

In a job interview, you might say: Espero que a empresa cresça. (I hope the company grows). It shows passion and correct grammar. In a restaurant, if the food is bad: É uma pena que a comida esteja fria. (It's a pity the food is cold). Use it to be polite but firm.

Don't use the subjunctive for facts. If you are 100% sure and there is no emotion, stay in the indicative.

• Certainty: Eu sei que ele vem. (I know he is coming). No emotion here, just a fact.
• Same Subject: If you are the one feeling and the one acting, use the infinitive. Eu gosto de viajar. (I like to travel). You don't say Eu gosto que eu viaje. That sounds like you have a split personality!
• Observations: Vejo que você está feliz. (I see that you are happy). You are just observing a state, not reacting to it with a specific emotional trigger verb like gostar or temer.

The biggest mistake is forgetting the que. Without que, the sentence falls apart. Another classic is using the normal present tense. Saying Fico feliz que você vem sounds "off" to a native ear. It should be Fico feliz que você venha.

Also, watch out for irregulars. Verbs like ir (to go) become vá. Verbs like ser (to be) become seja. Don't try to force the regular pattern on these divas. They have their own rules. If you say eu sê instead of eu seja, your Brazilian friends might give you a confused look. Just laugh it off and correct yourself. We've all been there!

How is this different from expressing doubt? Honestly, the endings are the same! The difference is the "trigger" word.

• Doubt: Duvido que ele venha. (I doubt he's coming).
• Feeling: Gosto que ele venha. (I like that he's coming).

Both use venha. The subjunctive is a big umbrella. Feelings are just one neighborhood under that umbrella. Also, compare it to the Personal Infinitive. We use that for impersonal expressions like É importante fazermos isso. But for feelings, the subjunctive with que is your best friend. It is more personal and direct.