Using a Library Computer and Printer | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. ¿Puedo usar esta computadora?

   Can I use this computer?

   Puedo

   Can I

   usar

   use

   esta

   this

   computadora

   computer

   More detail

   Puedo is the first-person singular present form of poder. With an infinitive, puedo + infinitive asks about the speaker’s ability or permission to do something: ¿Puedo entrar? = “Can I come in?” The question uses puedo for “I can,” not puedes (“you can”) or puede (“he/she/you formal can”). usar is the infinitive “to use.” After poder, Spanish keeps the next verb in the infinitive: puedo usar = “I can use.” For example, ¿Puedo usar tu teléfono? means “Can I use your phone?” Esta is the feminine singular demonstrative “this.” It agrees with the feminine singular noun it accompanies: esta computadora. The corresponding forms include este for masculine singular and estas/estos for feminine/masculine plural nouns. Here, esta points to a computer understood as near or relevant to the speaker; it does not itself mean “computer.” Computadora is the feminine noun “computer.” Its plural is computadoras: estas computadoras = “these computers.” The following context also uses computadora, referring to a computer as available or free, but the question itself only asks whether the speaker may use this one. Together, ¿Puedo usar esta computadora? follows the reusable pattern ¿Puedo + infinitive + noun phrase? and means “Can I use this computer?” The question asks about the speaker’s ability or permission to use the specifically indicated computer.

2. Esa computadora está libre.

   That computer is free.

   Esa

   that

   computadora

   computer

   está

   is

   libre

   free; available

   More detail

   Esa means “that” for one feminine noun. It agrees with computadora, so the pair is esa computadora. Spanish also distinguishes esta “this” and aquella “that one over there”; choose among them according to the intended demonstrative distance or discourse reference. computadora is the feminine noun “computer.” Its plural is computadoras. The feminine form of the demonstrative is visible in esa, while the noun itself does not change for gender in this sentence. Está is the third-person singular present form of estar, “to be.” Here it describes the computer’s current state: it is available to use. Estar is commonly used for temporary states, while ser is used for many identity or inherent-characteristic statements; the choice depends on the meaning, not only on English “is.” Libre means “free” in the sense of available or unoccupied here, not necessarily “free of charge.” It is an adjective. Its masculine and feminine singular forms are both libre, and the plural is libres: un asiento libre, una computadora libre, dos asientos libres. Together, esa computadora identifies one feminine computer, and está libre states its current availability. The complete meaning is “That computer is free.”

3. La pantalla es muy brillante.

   The screen is very bright.

   pantalla

   screen

   es

   is

   muy

   very

   brillante

   bright

   More detail

   pantalla means “screen” here. It is a feminine noun: la pantalla. Spanish nouns commonly require a matching article, so a useful pattern is la + feminine singular noun. Example: La pantalla está limpia. — “The screen is clean.” es is the third-person singular present form of ser (“to be”). It is used here to identify a lasting or characteristic quality of the screen. The present-tense forms include soy (“I am”), eres (“you are,” tú), and es (“he/she/it is” or “you are,” usted). Example: La pantalla es grande. — “The screen is large.” muy means “very” and intensifies the adjective that follows it. The reusable pattern is muy + adjective; muy itself does not change for gender or number. Example: El texto es muy claro. — “The text is very clear.” brillante means “bright” in this sentence. It is an adjective describing la pantalla. Its form is the same for masculine and feminine singular nouns: un monitor brillante and una pantalla brillante; in the plural, it becomes brillantes. Do not confuse muy brillante (“very bright”) with the comparative más brillante (“brighter” or “more bright”). Together, La pantalla identifies the subject, es links it to the quality, and muy brillante expresses a high degree of that quality. The complete meaning is “The screen is very bright.”

4. Puedes bajar el brillo aquí.

   You can lower the brightness here.

   Puedes

   can

   bajar

   lower

   brillo

   brightness

   aquí

   here

   More detail

   Puedes is the second-person singular present form of poder (“to be able to,” “can”). It addresses one person with tú: puedes, not the plural pueden. With an infinitive, poder + infinitive expresses ability or permission; here the fixed translation presents it as “can.” Example: Puedes entrar. — “You can come in.” bajar is an infinitive meaning “to lower” in this use. It is transitive here: someone lowers something. In other contexts it can also mean “to go down” or “to get off,” so the object helps establish the meaning. Example: Baja la música. — “Lower the music.” brillo is a masculine noun meaning “brightness” here. The phrase el brillo uses the masculine singular definite article. The related adjective in the preceding context is brillante (“bright”); brillo names the quality or level being adjusted, while brillante describes something that has that quality. aquí is an adverb meaning “here,” referring to the relevant place in the situation. It does not change for number or gender. Example: Puedes dejarlo aquí. — “You can leave it here.” Together, puedes bajar gives “you can lower,” el brillo identifies what can be lowered, and aquí specifies where this adjustment can be made. The complete utterance therefore means “You can lower the brightness here.”

5. ¿Puedo usar también la impresora?

   Can I use the printer too?

   Puedo

   can

   usar

   use

   también

   too; also

   impresora

   printer

   More detail

   Puedo is the first-person singular present form of poder (“to be able to; can”). It expresses the speaker’s ability or permission here: “Can I...?” The pattern ¿Puedo + infinitive? is a reusable way to ask whether the speaker may do something. Example: ¿Puedo entrar? — “Can I come in?” usar is the infinitive “to use.” After puedo, Spanish uses an infinitive: puedo usar, not a second conjugated verb. Example: Puedo usar esta silla. — “I can use this chair.” también means “too” or “also.” In this sentence it adds using the printer to an already relevant possibility; it does not replace the action. Its position after usar is natural, and it can also appear elsewhere when the intended emphasis changes. Example: Yo también puedo ayudar. — “I can help too.” impresora means “printer.” It is a feminine singular noun, so the article before it is la: la impresora. The ending does not by itself guarantee gender for every Spanish noun, so learn this noun together with its article. Example: La impresora funciona. — “The printer works.” Together, ¿Puedo usar también la impresora? forms a yes-or-no question: “Can I use the printer too?” The implicit subject of puedo is yo, the speaker; usar names the action, también adds it as an additional option, and la impresora identifies the object being used.

6. Puedes usar la impresora cerca del escritorio.

   You can use the printer near the desk.

   Puedes

   you can

   usar

   to use

   impresora

   printer

   cerca del

   near the

   escritorio

   desk

   More detail

   Puedes is the second-person singular present form of poder (“can” or “are able to”). It addresses one person with tú; it is not the formal singular form puede used with usted. For example: Puedes entrar. — “You can come in.” usar is the infinitive “to use.” After puedes, Spanish uses an infinitive: puedes usar means “you can use.” The infinitive does not show the person here; puedes carries the second-person singular agreement. Example: Puedes abrir la ventana. — “You can open the window.” impresora means “printer.” It is a feminine noun, so the article in the sentence is la: la impresora. The form impresora is singular; its plural is impresoras. Example: Necesito una impresora. — “I need a printer.” cerca del means “near the.” cerca de introduces a location, and del is the contraction of de + el. The masculine singular article el agrees with escritorio, not with impresora. Example: La silla está cerca del escritorio. — “The chair is near the desk.” escritorio means “desk.” It is a masculine singular noun, which is why the phrase has el inside the contraction del. Example: El escritorio está junto a la ventana. — “The desk is next to the window.” Together, Puedes usar la impresora says “You can use the printer,” and cerca del escritorio specifies the printer’s location: “near the desk.” The complete utterance means: “You can use the printer near the desk.”

7. Usaré auriculares si pongo algún audio.

   I'll use headphones if I play any audio.

   Usaré

   I'll use

   auriculares

   headphones

   si

   if

   pongo

   play (audio)

   algún

   any

   audio

   audio

   More detail

   Usaré is the first-person singular future of usar (“to use”): usaré, “I will use.” The ending -é identifies “I” and the future time. Example: Usaré el ordenador mañana. — “I will use the computer tomorrow.” auriculares is a plural noun meaning “headphones.” Spanish commonly uses the plural because the item is understood as a pair. Example: Mis auriculares son nuevos. — “My headphones are new.” si introduces a condition: “if.” In this sentence, the condition uses the present form pongo, while the result uses the future usaré: si + present, followed by a future result. Example: Iré si tengo tiempo. — “I will go if I have time.” pongo is the first-person singular present form of poner (“to put”); here, with audio, it means “play” or “put on audio.” It is not the future form: pondré would mean “I will put/play.” Example: Pongo música por la mañana. — “I play music in the morning.” algún is the shortened form of alguno before a masculine singular noun. With audio, it means “any” in this conditional context. The noun audio is masculine singular here, which is why algún is used rather than alguna. Example: Si escucho algún ruido, pararé. — “If I hear any noise, I will stop.” audio is a masculine singular noun meaning “audio” or “sound recording.” It is the direct object of pongo: the thing being played. Example: El audio empieza ahora. — “The audio starts now.” Together, si pongo algún audio means “if I play any audio,” and usaré auriculares means “I’ll use headphones.” The complete utterance is: “I’ll use headphones if I play any audio.”

8. Eso mantendrá la sala tranquila.

   That will keep the room quiet.

   Eso

   That

   mantendrá

   will keep

   sala

   room

   tranquila

   quiet

   More detail

   Eso means “that” here. It is the neuter demonstrative pronoun, used for an already understood situation or idea rather than for a noun with masculine or feminine agreement. Its exact referent is not identified by the supplied sentence, but the translation establishes that it is the thing that will produce the result. mantendrá is the future form of mantener (“to keep” or “to maintain”) for a third-person singular subject: mantener → mantendrá. The future form expresses that the keeping will occur or hold in the future. In this sentence, mantener takes la sala as the thing being kept in a condition and tranquila as the resulting condition. sala means “room.” It is a feminine singular noun; its usual definite form is la sala. Here it is the noun referring to the room identified in the fixed translation. tranquila means “quiet” here. It is the feminine singular form of the adjective tranquilo, agreeing with sala: sala tranquila. The masculine singular form is tranquilo, while tranquila is required with this feminine singular noun. Together, Eso mantendrá la sala tranquila. means “That will keep the room quiet.” The pattern is demonstrative subject + future form of mantener + object + agreeing adjective: something will cause the room to remain in a quiet condition. In the supplied context, this is compatible with the preceding statement about using headphones when playing audio.