Spanish language Q&A Forum

why is Tú vuelves del trabajo a las cinco not translated into you're returning  from job at 5 

I think it would be very helpful if you gave the literal translations of sentences as well as the conversational translation. I have been assigning wrong meanings to words...

Me pediste perdón.You apologised to me.
Is there a separate word for "apologise" ? 

While working in a Spanish-speaking school, the kids would say, "Se puede entrar?" to ask if they could enter the class room. The teacher would respond by saying, "Sí, se puede." Why would they use this form? It's like saying, "Can one enter the room?" Is it actually a passive question instead?

I study Spanish in Guatemala where we don’t use the form vous. Is there any way that my lessons can be without the vous form? Thank you.

Could someone attempt to clear something up for me?

In a quiz question on this subject we are asked to choose subjunctive vs indicative as follows:

"Aunque no ______ (tiene/tenga) mucho éxito en general, la película me parece interesante" (Although it is not very successful in general, the movie seems interesting to me)

The hint given is that there is no doubt in the speaker's mind regarding the aunque clause.

The answer is tenga (subjunctive)

In English, even if and although have quite different connotations: even if can indicate an element of doubt, but although generally does not, so I can usually work out how one or the other determines either indicative or subjunctive in Spanish translation. But I don't understand how this phrase triggers the subjunctive in this question.

Firstly, from the hint given, the phrase doesn't necessarily imply that this is shared information (that the accompanying lesson suggests would trigger the subjunctive). This info might be known only to the speaker, so shouldn't that would point to the indicative? Secondly, if there's no doubt in the speaker's mind, why consider using subjunctive at all?

On the question:

Mamá, ________

Why wouldn't "cómo está" be a correct answer? Wouldn't it be formal when speaking to a parent?

Thank you!

The phrase "para aprender a ser" is the "a" an idiomatic expression? is two consecutive infinitives incorrect?

Would you explain why it is el hacha afilada, but it is una ave bonita, please.  Both have feminine modifiers.  I’m becoming more confused as I go.  

Here’s an explanation that I found elsewhere:

“Feminine nouns that begin with a stressed "a-" or "ha-" sound in Spanish use the definite article "el" in the singular."

The example given is:
"Who's incredibly attractive; a real night owl.  Sí, pero indica que no es un ave de paso.”

The above example uses un, not una.

Hi - In your topic on El Condicional Simple, the description reads as follows : "El Condicional Simple expresses hypothetical actions that would or might happen in the past and in the future. It is also used to express wishes, to give advice and suggestions or to invite and ask in a polite way."

How does one differentiate between this description and the use of El Futuro Simple for the use in prediction, probability and speculation? Seems quite confusing and overlapping.