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Grammar questions– conjugations, verb tenses, adverbs, adjectives, word order, syntax, etc.


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  #1
Old January 13, 2010, 11:05 AM
Equis Equis is offline
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Letras

Si tu sintieras lo mismo que yo, estuvieras aqui conmigo,
Fueras mi novia y yo tu principe, me muero por estar contigo.

These are lyrics from a song, can someone explain why the past subjenctive is used with the bold part instead of past preterite or subjenctive
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  #2
Old January 13, 2010, 11:20 AM
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Imperfect subjunctive is used in "if" clauses (cláusulas con "si"):

- Impf. subj. + condicional simple

Si tú sintieras lo mismo que yo, sería la persona más feliz del mundo.

In this case, "si" has influence on all the following sentences (apart from the last one):

Si tú sintieras lo mismo que yo, (si tú) estuvieras aquí conmigo, (si tú) fueras mi novia y (si yo fuera) tu príncipe...

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  #3
Old January 13, 2010, 11:29 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by irmamar View Post
Imperfect subjunctive is used in "if" clauses (cláusulas con "si"):

- Impf. subj. + condicional simple
Yes, but surely only if it is an impossible or unreal condition.

If you were a lady and I were a carpenter (imperfect subjunctive in Spanish and English) - an impossible condition because you are not a lady and I am a lion tamer.

If I were you - imperfect subj, because I'm not.

If it's not raining, we'll go for a walk. (not impossible, therefore not imperfect subj.)
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  #4
Old January 13, 2010, 11:34 AM
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In Spanish it is used to formulate an hypothesis, and in your last sentence in Spanish I'd use subjunctive, too. The following sentences formulate an hypothesis:

Si no llueve, iré a pasear.
Si no lloviera, iría a pasear.

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  #5
Old January 13, 2010, 12:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by irmamar View Post
In Spanish it is used to formulate an hypothesis, and in your last sentence in Spanish I'd use subjunctive, too. The following sentences formulate an hypothesis:

Si no llueve, iré a pasear.
Si no lloviera, iría a pasear.

Yes but there is surely a big difference in meaning:

Si no llueve, iré a pasear. Simple condition either/or. It might be raining or it might not.

Si no lloviera, iría a pasear Hypothetical, or impossible condition because it is raining.
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  #6
Old January 13, 2010, 12:12 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Perikles View Post
Yes but there is surely a big difference in meaning:

Si no llueve, iré a pasear. Simple condition either/or. It might be raining or it might not.

Si no lloviera, iría a pasear Hypothetical, or impossible condition because it is raining.
Yes, I understand you, but in Spanish I can say:

Si mañana no llueve, iré a pasear.
Si mañana no lloviera, iría a pasear.

And both of them have the same meaning. It all depends on the weather.
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  #7
Old January 13, 2010, 12:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by irmamar View Post
Yes, I understand you, but in Spanish I can say:

Si mañana no llueve, iré a pasear.
Si mañana no lloviera, iría a pasear.

And both of them have the same meaning. It all depends on the weather.
Yes but only if they both refer to the future - not the present.

You are not playing fair - you have changed the tenses.
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  #8
Old January 13, 2010, 12:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Perikles View Post
Yes but only if they both refer to the future - not the present.

You are not playing fair - you have changed the tenses.
I've not changed the tenses, but the time (in Spanish it would be a funny pun: no he cambiado los tiempos, sino el tiempo -que podría ser weather or time- ). I've written 'tomorrow' to show that both sentences can have the same meaning. Of course, they don't have the same if we're talking about the present.
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  #9
Old January 13, 2010, 05:25 PM
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thank you irmamar and perikles, it makes sense now :-)
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  #10
Old January 14, 2010, 09:47 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Equis View Post
Si tu sintieras lo mismo que yo, estuvieras aqui conmigo,
Fueras mi novia y yo tu principe, me muero por estar contigo.

These are lyrics from a song, can someone explain why the past subjenctive is used with the bold part instead of past preterite or subjenctive
Very nice your phrase, I liked so much.


I'd like giving it another sense.

Si tu sintieras lo mismo que yo, yo fuera a ti, como tu principe contigo estare, y tu mi novia seras, juntos los dos hasta la muerte no nos separara.
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  #11
Old January 16, 2010, 08:00 AM
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I have another one. this lyric goes like

yo lo quiero quitarte

i think this means ' I want him to leave you ', would you also be able to say
'yo le quiero quitarte'
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  #12
Old January 16, 2010, 08:10 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Equis View Post
I have another one. this lyric goes like

yo lo quiero quitarte

i think this means ' I want him to leave you ', would you also be able to say
'yo le quiero quitarte'
Please make sure that the lyrics are transcribed correctly.

That in itself does not make sense.

On the other hand, several meanings can be made out of those words taking some and leaving others, etc...

Now, I want him to leave you translates to (Yo) quiero que él te deje.
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  #13
Old January 16, 2010, 09:07 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Equis View Post
I have another one. this lyric goes like

yo lo quiero quitarte

i think this means ' I want him to leave you ', would you also be able to say
'yo le quiero quitarte'
You phrase is bad, I think that the lyric should be wrote so.

Lo que quiero quitarte, because the last word hasn't sense.
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  #14
Old January 16, 2010, 09:33 AM
Equis Equis is offline
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its not mine, just found it on some song. Maybe its how they say it in his dialect or his style
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  #15
Old January 16, 2010, 10:40 AM
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If you're listening to Eres un Canalla, by El Canto Del Loco, the lyrics are:
Ya sólo quiero quitarte del medio
= Now I only want to get you out of the way
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  #16
Old January 16, 2010, 02:02 PM
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How would you say I love her. le ama or la ama
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  #17
Old January 16, 2010, 07:16 PM
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