Spanish language Q&A Forum

Questions answered by our learning community with help from expert Spanish teachers

5,962 questions • 9,749 answers • 995,022 learners

Ask a question

Find your Spanish level for FREE

And get your personalised Study Plan to improve it

Find your Spanish level

James G.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

This may be a misleading lesson. There appears to be a direct contradiction here:

In: Level B2, Verbs Tenses & Conjugation, Modo indicativo, Modo subjuntivo, Oración subordinada temporal

1. Cuando is always used with past tenses in the indicative ….
2. If we use past tenses in the subjunctive with Cuando …

There appears to be a direct contradiction above:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In statement #1, it is stated that Cuando must be in the indicative mood
in statement #2, it is stated that Cuando may be in the subjunctive mood.
James

Asked 6 years ago

Like0Answer1

Stuart R.B1Kwiziq community member

Imperative Vs. Subjunctive

I have a question regarding the following excerpt:

"Both "¿Por qué no...?" and "Mejor no..." followed by El Presente are more frequently used in speech than their equivalent forms using the imperative:

Vayamos a la playa.
Let's go to the beach! (affirmative command)

No vayamos a la playa.
Let's not go to the beach! (negative command)"

My understanding is that whilst 'vayamos' is the negative imperative form of 'ir', 'vamos' is the affirmative form, contrary to the above.

Is there a situation where we would use the subjunctive 'vayamos a la playa' instead of the affirmative imperative 'vamos a la playa' to express the same command?

Many thanks,

Stu

Asked 4 years ago

Like0Answer2

j. s.B2Kwiziq community member

Error Misprint

Hi... so sorry. There was a problem on my own Google page. It was interpreting the Spanish as French for some reason !!!. I got it sorted. Sorry again for the hassle.

You are doing great work

Joseph.

Asked 5 years ago

Like0Answer1

Armando B.C1Kwiziq community member

Lo+ Adv/Adj + que + verb Que tan /cuan + Adv/ Adj

Hola Inma:

Are these phrases interchangeable?

Lo+ Adv/Adj + que + verb

Que tan /cuan + Adv/ Adj

Let's use test question #3 for these purposes:

"¡____ es ese monumento!"

Of course the correct answer is:

"¡Lo feo que es ese monumento!"

With regard to this structure (Lo+ Adv/Adj + que + verb) the lesson states it is used to express surprise/admiration/disappointment about how something/someone performs an action or about what someone/something is like.

The lesson for the structure (Que tan /cuan + Adv/ Adj) states that it is used to ASK about the degree or extent of a specific quality. Yet one of the example is not a question:

"Carlos, muéstrale a Valentina qué tan bien bailas merengue." The phrase is being used in regard to a "specific quality," i.e., "... how well... ."

Question:for these purposes, is not ugliness a specific quality. (a) if so, could we not also use the structure (Que tan /cuan + Adv/ Adj): ¡Qué tan feo es ese monumento! Thank you in advance.

Asked 3 years ago

Like1Answer1

David M.C1Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Comments on the Cid, and on others from the same period in history.

Thank you Shui, Ana and Inma - well chosen - it is indeed part of an important era in Spanish history. I actually wrote a short essay on that period: http://www.dlmcn.com/AlfonsoSexto.html (for a local publication in Almería, drawing from the book "ALFONSO VI - Señor del Cid, Conquistador de Toledo" by Gonzalo Martínez Díez). It seemed worth highlighting the fact that one of Alfonso VI's wives - Zá'ida - is the only Muslim woman in the whole of history who became a Christian queen; (originally, she was the daughter-in-law of the Muslim Ruler of Seville).

When asked what she thought was "el peor momento de la historia de España", the Madrid historian María Lara Martínez replied:

"La batalla de Uclés contra los almorávides en el año 1108 marcó un "antes y un después". Murió Sancho Alfónsez, y Alfonso VI se quedó sin heredero varón. Sancho Alfónsez era un príncipe de dos sangres, pues su madre era la mora Zá'ida. ¿Qué habría pasado si este adolescente hubiera llegado al trono? ¿En qué medida su muerte truncó el proyecto de convivencia de judíos, cristianos y musulmanes?"

The film starring Charlton Heston and Sophía Loren was very well presented; unlike many modern-day productions it at least made an effort to comply with several facts presented in historical documents.

The relationship between the Cid and his King Alfonso VI was not always smooth: for example the Cid did not contribute to the conquest and occupation of the key fortress at Aledo (near Totana in the Region of Murcia, at that time lying deep within Muslim-held territory; my essay contains photos). And the Cid did not participate in the Battle of Uclés.

Asked 5 years ago

Like3Answer6

Benhur B.C1Kwiziq community member

Es vs Estamos a...

Hola,

'Estamos a 28 de diciembre' should also be considered correct here, right?

I noticed in the given examples in the lesson for estar to talk about dates, that 'estamos a' is always followed by a date written in words. Is it acceptable to use 'estamos a' followed by a date in digits?

Thanks,

Benhur

Asked 4 years ago

Like0Answer1