In Spanish, the verb mood you use can show how certain you are about something. When you state a belief as a fact, you use the indicative mood. But when you express doubt, possibility, or a negative opinion, you switch to the subjunctive mood. This deck will teach you the key phrases for doing this.

Let's quickly recap certainty. When you express a positive belief with phrases like 'creo que', meaning 'I think that', you are stating something you hold to be true. Therefore, the verb that follows is in the indicative mood. For example, 'Creo que es una buena idea' means 'I think that it is a good idea'.

To express doubt, you can use the phrase 'dudo que', which means 'I doubt that'. Because you are expressing uncertainty, any verb that follows 'dudo que' must be in the subjunctive. For instance, 'Dudo que él tenga tiempo' means 'I doubt that he has time'.