Section 13.2 · The word that connects ideas · que is NEVER optional in Spanish · reporting speech · opinions · hopes · describing nouns · decir que · pensar que · esperar que
The word que is one of the most essential words in the entire Spanish language. It appears constantly in natural speech, functioning as a connector that joins two ideas into a single flowing sentence. Without que, your Spanish sounds choppy and fragmented — a string of short isolated statements. With que, your sentences become fluid, nuanced, and natural.
In English, the equivalent word “that” is often optional: you can say “I think it is good” or “I think that it is good.” In Spanish, que is never optional. Dropping it makes the sentence grammatically wrong. This section covers the four main uses of que: reporting speech (decir que), expressing opinions (pensar/creer que), expressing hopes (esperar que), and describing nouns as a relative pronoun (el libro que yo leo). Mastering each use transforms your Spanish from competent to truly fluent.
I think [that] it is good. ✓
I think it is good. ✓
I know [that] you work hard. ✓
I know you work hard. ✓
She says [that] the meeting is late. ✓
She says the meeting is late. ✓
Pienso que es bueno. ✓
Pienso es bueno. ✗ (grammatically wrong)
Sé que usted trabaja mucho. ✓
Sé usted trabaja mucho. ✗ (wrong)
Ella dice que la reunión es tarde. ✓
Ella dice la reunión es tarde. ✗ (wrong)
| Spanish Phrase | English Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo sé que… | I know that… | Yo sé que usted trabaja mucho. |
| Usted dice que… | You say that… | Usted dice que es tarde. |
| Tú dices que… | You say that… (informal) | Tú dices que el plan es bueno. |
| Espero que… | I hope that… | Espero que todo esté bien. |
| El hombre que… | The man who/that… | El hombre que habla es el jefe. |
| Parece que… | It seems that… | Parece que va a llover. |
| Yo pienso que… | I think that… | Yo pienso que el plan es excelente. |
The most common use of que with a verb you already know: decir + que. From Section 12.3, you learned that digo que, dice que, decimos que, and dicen que are how you report what someone says. The que is the essential hinge that connects the reporting verb (decir) to the content being reported. Usted dice que el hospital es muy bueno (You say that the hospital is very good). El jefe dice que la reunión es a las nueve (The boss says that the meeting is at nine). Ellos dicen que van a llegar tarde (They say that they are going to arrive late — notice: decir que + informal future). You can chain ideas powerfully this way: someone says something, and that something itself contains a future plan, an opinion, or another que structure.
Two key verbs for sharing opinions also require que: pensar (to think) and creer (to believe). Both are stem-changing: pensar is e→ie (pienso, piensa, pensamos, piensan) and creer is regular (-er verb). Yo pienso que el plan es excelente (I think that the plan is excellent). Usted cree que el clima va a cambiar (You believe that the weather is going to change). Nosotros pensamos que la oficina es pequeña (We think that the office is small — nosotros form of pensar, no stem change). ¿Usted cree que el doctor está aquí? (Do you believe the doctor is here?) — notice: even in questions, que is required. Opinion-giving with these verbs is a fundamental professional and social skill, and que is always the connector.
Esperar (to hope / to expect / to wait for) is a regular -ar verb that works with que to express wishes and hopes for outcomes. Yo espero que usted tenga un buen día (I hope that you have a good day). Nosotros esperamos que el bus llegue pronto (We hope that the bus arrives soon). Ellos esperan que la tienda abra a las ocho (They hope that the store opens at eight). You will notice that the verb after esperar que often looks different from the forms you have learned — this is because these sentences use the subjunctive mood, which will be covered in a future chapter. For now, simply recognize and use these as complete phrases. The most practical everyday expressions are espero que todo esté bien (I hope everything is well) and espero que pueda / puedas (I hope you can) — both are extremely common in professional and social contexts.
The rule is absolute: wherever English allows you to drop “that,” Spanish requires que. Yo sé que usted es el director — you cannot say “Yo sé usted es el director.” Usted sabe que yo voy al banco — you cannot say “Usted sabe yo voy al banco.” The verbs that always require que include: decir, pensar, creer, esperar, saber, parecer, and any other verb of saying, thinking, knowing, or hoping. A practical approach: whenever you produce a sentence with two conjugated verbs, ask yourself “is there a que connecting them?” If the second verb expresses what the first verb's subject says, thinks, knows, or hopes — que is required. The only exception is modal verb structures (poder, querer, deber + infinitive) where two verbs connect directly without que.
Beyond connecting clauses after verbs, que also functions as a relative pronoun — the equivalent of “who,” “that,” or “which” in English. It is placed directly after a noun to add a descriptive clause: El libro que yo leo es muy interesante (The book that I am reading is very interesting). La medicina que usted necesita está aquí (The medicine that you need is here). El hombre que habla es el jefe (The man who is speaking is the boss). In English, you can sometimes drop “that” here too: “The book I'm reading.” In Spanish, the relative que is always required: El libro que leo — never “El libro leo.” This use of que is critical for adding detail and specificity to your descriptions of people, objects, and situations.
Listen to each sentence in Spanish, then repeat aloud during the countdown pause.
Sentences 1–5 drill decir que across all four forms of decir, including one sentence combining decir que with the informal future. Sentences 6–10 practice pensar que and creer que for expressing opinions across different subjects. Sentences 11–15 use esperar que for hopes and wishes, with a variety of subjects. Sentences 16–20 drill the mandatory nature of que using saber que, parece que, and a side-by-side correct/incorrect awareness exercise. Sentences 21–25 use que as a relative pronoun after nouns of different genders and numbers, and combine multiple uses of que in single professional sentences.
Step 1 — Spot the que: Before repeating, identify which function que is playing in the sentence. Conjunction after a verb? Relative pronoun after a noun? This awareness builds the habit of automatic que insertion.
Step 2 — Stress the que: During shadowing, give que a slight extra emphasis. This counteracts the English habit of dropping “that” — by making que more salient in practice, you rewire the automatic omission tendency.
Step 3 — Complete idea check: After repeating each sentence, confirm that the sentence contains two complete ideas joined by que. Identify the first idea (the verb of saying/thinking/knowing) and the second idea (what is being said/thought/known). This two-idea awareness is the foundation of fluent complex sentences.
The que insertion drill: Take five short Spanish sentences you already know. Then combine them in pairs using que-verbs: El plan es bueno + Yo pienso = Yo pienso que el plan es bueno. El bus llega tarde + Espero que = Espero que el bus llegue pronto. This productive drill moves que from passive recognition to active use.
The five essential que phrases: Memorize these five as complete chunks: (1) Yo pienso que… (2) Yo sé que… (3) Espero que todo esté bien (4) Parece que va a llover (5) El/La ___ que ___ (relative pronoun). These five cover reporting, opinion, hope, impersonal expression, and description — the core functions of que in daily life.
Combine with Chapter 13.1: Practice linking decir que with the informal future: Yo digo que voy a terminar. Ella dice que va a llegar tarde. Nosotros decimos que vamos a presentar el plan. This combination is the most natural and frequent use of both structures together.
Choose the correct answer. 20 questions drawn randomly from a pool of 30.