Take the fastest path to fluent Spanish
Expressing "without doing something" in Spanish
Spanish subordinate clauses introduced by "sin que" (without [doing something]) always require the subjunctive, while in English this is expressed as "without" plus the gerund. These subordinate clauses express the way in which something is done/will be done/should be done, etc. The subordinate clause functions like an adverb of manner.
Let's see some examples:
We can also use "sin" without "que", in which case we need the infinitive. This generally happens when the subject is the same in the main and the subordinate clauses.
For example:
Remember that the infinitive can have pronouns attached to it.
Other examples are:
Después de tres horas me fui de la fiesta sin que pudiera bailar con Carlos.After three hours I left the party without managing to dance with Carlos.
Sometimes, the infinitive (after "sin") is used when the subjects are different. When this happens, the second subject tends to be placed at the very end of the sentence. This structure is a bit more colloquial than sin que + subjuntivo. For example:
But remember to omit "que" when using sin + infinitive.
This would be incorrect:
"Se pusieron a ver una película muy violenta sin que estar acostados los niños."
Want to make sure your Spanish sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »
