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Using the subjunctive in a clause starting with "lo que"

 

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  #1  
Old April 22, 2011, 06:26 PM
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Question Using the subjunctive in a clause starting with "lo que"

The examples given me are:

Haz lo que quieras. (Do what(ever) you (may) want.)
Haces exactamente lo que quieres. (You do exactly what you want. (You know what it is.))

No me importa lo que digan. (I do not care what they (may) say. (Whatever it is.))
No me importa lo que dicen. (I do not care about what they're saying.)

I'm not really clear on the differences between these two sets of sentences. Would someone be so kind as to expand on the explanations given? Thank you!!
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  #2  
Old April 22, 2011, 07:02 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by laepelba View Post
The examples given me are:

Haz lo que quieras. (Do what(ever) you (may) want.)
Haces exactamente lo que quieres. (You do exactly what you want. (You know what it is.))

No me importa lo que digan. (I do not care what they (may) say. (Whatever it is.))
No me importa lo que dicen. (I do not care about what they're saying.)

I'm not really clear on the differences between these two sets of sentences. Would someone be so kind as to expand on the explanations given? Thank you!!

Whatever you say - Lo que (tú) digas.

(talk to the hand)
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Old April 22, 2011, 07:04 PM
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laepelba laepelba is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chileno View Post
Whatever you say - Lo que (tú) digas.

(talk to the hand)
I need help with the difference between the two sentences.....
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Old April 22, 2011, 07:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by laepelba View Post
The examples given me are:

Haz lo que quieras.
(Do what(ever) you (may) want.) (you don't what that might be, right?)SUBJUNCTIVE

Haces exactamente lo que quieres.
(You do exactly what you want. (You know what it is.))INDICATIVE

No me importa lo que digan. (I do not care what they (may) say. (Whatever it is.))
No me importa lo que dicen. (I do not care about what they're saying.)

I'm not really clear on the differences between these two sets of sentences. Would someone be so kind as to expand on the explanations given? Thank you!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by laepelba View Post
I need help with the difference between the two sentences.....
Is that what you mean when you say you want help?
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Old April 22, 2011, 08:08 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by laepelba View Post
The examples given me are:

Haz lo que quieras. (Do what(ever) you (may) want.)Future reference about something that has not yet happened.
Haces exactamente lo que quieres. (You do exactly what you want. (You know what it is.)) Pesent reference about current or past behavior: it is known to have happened already or to be happening now.

No me importa lo que digan. (I do not care what they (may) say. (Whatever it is.)) I don't know what they have said or what they may say in the future; whatever it might be, it doesn't matter to me.
No me importa lo que dicen. (I do not care about what they're saying.) I know what they are saying or what they have said already, and it doesn't matter to me.

I'm not really clear on the differences between these two sets of sentences. Would someone be so kind as to expand on the explanations given? Thank you!!
In the sentences that have subjunctive, the part that is in subjunctive is about something that is unreal or hypothetical in some way: it hasn't happened yet, or it is unknown whether or not it happened in the past.
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Old April 22, 2011, 08:46 PM
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OHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! NOW I get it. I completely missed the "this is happening right now" fact about the second of each set of sentences. That completely makes sense now. Thank you both!!
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