I like girls that drink beer

M

matthews028

Senior Member
Orlando, FL
English, USA
Hi everyone! There's a country song--it's a dumb one--wherein the singer talks about how he no longer wants to be with his girlfriend who is "fancy" and drinks wine. Instead, he likes girls who are less refined and elegant; in other words, girls that drink beer.

These are not specific girls. Just... any girl who drinks beer.

Should the verb be subjunctive?

"Me gustan las chicas que tom?n cerveza"...


I keep going back and forth. I know if I were asking "hey, I'm looking for a (specific set of) girls who drink beer", it'd be "toman", and "hey, I am looking for a few girls, I don't care who, who drink beer" it'd be "tomen". But here, he's talking about the set of all girls who drink beer.

So what should it be?

Thanks in advance!
 
    • I'd say: Me gustan las chicas que TOMAN cerveza. I only could use the subjunctive in a sentence a bit different: Que las chicas TOMEN cerveza es algo que a mi me gusta.
     
    Indicativo, realmente: Me gustan [las chicas que toman cerveza] = ese tipo de chicas, las que suelen tomar cerveza (perdón, @gengo, siempre me termino "pisando" con usted).
     
    matthews028 said:
    Hi everyone! There's a country song--it's a dumb one--wherein the singer talks about how he no longer wants to be with his girlfriend who is "fancy" and drinks wine. Instead, he likes girls who are less refined and elegant; in other words, girls that drink beer.

    These are not specific girls. Just... any girl who drinks beer.

    Should the verb be subjunctive?

    "Me gustan las chicas que tom?n cerveza"...


    I keep going back and forth. I know if I were asking "hey, I'm looking for a (specific set of) girls who drink beer", it'd be "toman", and "hey, I am looking for a few girls, I don't care who, who drink beer" it'd be "tomen". But here, he's talking about the set of all girls who drink beer.

    So what should it be?

    Thanks in advance!
    Click to expand...
    Indicative.
    You are putting across an opinion about a concrete group.
    E.g.:
    Me gusta una casa que está en la playa (that specific house and no-one else)
    Me gusta una casa que esté en la playa (whatever as long as it's located near the beach)
     
    gengo said:
    Me gustan las chicas que toman cerveza.
    Quiero una chica que tome cerveza.
    Click to expand...
    That's it :thumbsup:

    En el primer caso las chicas que toman cerveza son el sujeto de la oración. Esas chicas se presumen como existentes, reales, ya toman cerveza porque quieren y no porque a ti te guste, y afimas (=indicativo) que esas te gustan. En la segunda sí expresas un deseo, y como tal no hablas de una chica concreta, sino de una eventualidad ideal o hipotética de tu deseo. Si fuera una chica en concreto sí iría en indicativo: quiero a esa chica que toma cerveza.
     
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