Borrowing Small Tools | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. ¿Puedo usar las tijeras?

   Can I use the scissors?

   ¿Puedo

   Can I

   usar

   use

   tijeras

   scissors

   More detail

   ¿Puedo is the first-person singular present form of poder (“can” or “be able to”). In this question, it asks whether the speaker is allowed to do something. The inverted question mark ¿ opens the question, and ? closes it. usar is the infinitive “to use.” After a form of poder, Spanish uses an infinitive: Puedo usar... = “I can use...” or “May I use...”. The infinitive does not show the subject here; puedo shows that the subject is yo (“I”). tijeras means “scissors.” The usual phrase is las tijeras, with the plural article las. Tijera also exists as a singular noun, but the cutting tool is commonly referred to as las tijeras in the plural. Together, ¿Puedo + usar + las tijeras forms a permission question: “Can I use the scissors?” A reusable pattern is ¿Puedo + infinitive?, for example, ¿Puedo entrar? = “May I come in?”

2. Toma estas y mantén las hojas hacia abajo.

   Take these and keep the blades pointed down.

   Toma

   take

   estas

   these

   mantén

   keep; maintain

   hojas

   blades

   hacia abajo

   downward

   More detail

   Toma is the affirmative command form of tomar for tú (one familiar listener): “take.” The same form can also be a present-tense form in another context, so the command meaning comes from its use here. Example: Toma el lápiz. — “Take the pencil.” Estas is a feminine plural demonstrative meaning “these.” Its form matches a feminine plural noun that is understood from the situation; the fixed translation identifies the items as “these,” while the wording does not independently name the specific referent of this pronoun. Compare esta (“this,” feminine singular) and estos (“these,” masculine plural). Mantén is the affirmative tú command of mantener, “keep” or “maintain.” It is an irregular command form, not a regular form built by simply removing the infinitive ending; the accent marks the pronunciation. Example: Mantén la puerta abierta. — “Keep the door open.” Hojas is the feminine plural noun hoja. In this sentence it means “blades,” as in the blades of the scissors from the bounded context. Its singular is hoja; plural hojas refers to more than one blade or leaf depending on context. Here the following directional phrase describes their orientation. Hacia abajo is a directional phrase meaning “downward” or “toward the bottom.” Hacia expresses direction, while abajo means “down.” Example: Mira hacia abajo. — “Look downward.” Together, Toma estas gives the command “Take these.” Then mantén las hojas hacia abajo gives the second command “keep the blades pointed downward.” The two commands address one familiar listener and sequence the actions: take the items, then maintain the blades in a downward orientation.

3. También necesito un poco de cinta.

   I also need some tape.

   También

   also

   necesito

   I need

   un poco de

   some; a little of

   cinta

   tape

   More detail

   También means “also” or “too.” It adds this need to another relevant point; it does not replace or exclude that point. Example: También quiero agua. — “I also want water.” necesito is the first-person singular present form of necesitar, “to need”: necesito = “I need.” The subject is included in the verb form, so a separate subject pronoun is normally unnecessary. Example: Necesito ayuda. — “I need help.” un poco de expresses a small, unspecified amount of something: “some” or “a little of.” Here, un is part of the quantity expression; the sentence does not state that there is one piece or one unit of tape. The noun after de identifies what the amount consists of. Example: Quiero un poco de agua. — “I want some water.” cinta means “tape” here. It is a noun; its feminine grammatical gender is visible with an article in the following context: La cinta está en el cajón. — “The tape is in the drawer.” In this sentence, cinta is the material being needed, not a separately counted object. Together, También necesito un poco de cinta. means “I also need some tape.” También adds the need, necesito states that the speaker needs something, and un poco de cinta specifies that the need is for a small, unspecified amount of tape.

4. La cinta está en el cajón.

   The tape is in the drawer.

   cinta

   tape

   está en

   is in

   cajón

   drawer

   More detail

   cinta means “tape” here. It is a feminine noun, as shown by la cinta; the article agrees with the noun’s grammatical gender. The same word can refer to different kinds of tape depending on context. está en expresses that something is located in a place. está is the third-person singular present form of estar, used because the subject la cinta is singular. en introduces the location. For example: La llave está en la bolsa. — “The key is in the bag.” cajón means “drawer.” It is a masculine noun, so the full phrase is el cajón. The written accent on ó is part of the Spanish spelling. For example: El libro está en el cajón. — “The book is in the drawer.” Together, La cinta identifies the tape, está en states its location, and el cajón names that location: “The tape is in the drawer.”

5. ¿También tienes una regla?

   Do you have a ruler too?

   También

   too; also

   tienes

   have

   regla

   ruler

   More detail

   También means “also” or “too.” It adds this item to something already being discussed; it does not replace the earlier item. Example: También tengo un lápiz. — “I also have a pencil.” Tienes is the present-tense form of tener (“to have”) for the informal singular subject tú: tú tienes. In this question, the subject is understood from the verb, so the sentence asks whether one person has something. Example: ¿Tienes un cuaderno? — “Do you have a notebook?” Regla is a feminine noun meaning “ruler” here. The fixed translation and the context identify the intended object. The same Spanish word can also mean “rule” in another context, so the surrounding meaning matters. Its article agrees with it: una regla. Together, ¿También tienes una regla? asks, “Do you have a ruler too?” También marks the ruler as an additional item, tienes supplies the informal singular “you have,” and una regla names the object being asked about.

6. Sí, está en mi escritorio.

   Yes, it is on my desk.

   Sí

   yes

   está

   is located

   en

   in; on

   mi

   my

   escritorio

   desk

   More detail

   Sí is the affirmative answer, “yes.” It confirms the preceding question rather than adding a new object. está is a form of estar, used here for location: “is located/is.” The form is third-person singular, matching the singular thing being located. In this context, the thing is the ruler identified by the surrounding exchange. Compare está for a location with es, which is generally used for identity or characteristic rather than location. en introduces the place where something is located. Spanish en can correspond to “in” or “on” in English, so its exact translation depends on the place and context: en la caja means “in the box,” while en la mesa means “on the table.” mi means “my” before one singular noun. It does not change for masculine versus feminine nouns; its plural form is mis, as in mis libros (“my books”). escritorio means “desk.” Its usual article is masculine singular: el escritorio. The plural is escritorios. Together, está en mi escritorio means “is on my desk”: estar marks the ruler’s location, en introduces that location, and mi escritorio identifies the desk as belonging to the speaker. With the affirmative Sí, the complete utterance is “Yes, it is on my desk.”

7. Puedes cogerla de allí.

   You can take it from there.

   Puedes

   you can

   cogerla

   take it

   de allí

   from there

   More detail

   Puedes comes from poder, “to be able to/can.” It is the present-tense form for tú (“you,” singular and informal). With an infinitive, puedes + infinitive expresses ability or permission in the intended context: Puedes entrar. — “You can come in.” cogerla combines the infinitive coger (“to take”) with the direct-object pronoun la (“it,” referring to a grammatically feminine singular object). After a conjugated form of poder, the following verb stays in the infinitive: puedes coger. The pronoun is attached to that infinitive, forming cogerla; it is not part of the conjugation of poder. The exact referent of la is not identified by the sentence itself. Example: Voy a cogerla. — “I am going to take it.” de allí means “from there.” de marks the source or starting point, while allí is a demonstrative adverb meaning “there,” typically pointing to a place understood from the situation. Compare aquí (“here”) and allí (“there”). Example: Lo saqué de allí. — “I took it out of there.” Together, puedes cogerla says that the addressee can take the feminine singular object, and de allí identifies the place it is to be taken from. The complete utterance means “You can take it from there.”

8. Devolveré todo cuando termine.

   I will return everything when I finish.

   Devolveré

   I will return

   todo

   everything

   cuando

   when

   termine

   I finish

   More detail

   Devolveré is the first-person singular future form of devolver, “to return” something. The ending -é marks “I will …”; the accent is part of this form. Do not confuse devolver with volver: devolver means to give something back, while volver means to return/go back. Example: Te devolveré el libro. — “I will return the book to you.” Todo means “everything” here and works as a pronoun, so no noun is stated after it. It can also modify a noun, as in todo el trabajo — “all the work.” In the fixed sentence, it is the thing that will be returned. Cuando introduces a time clause meaning “when.” With a future or otherwise anticipated event, Spanish commonly uses the subjunctive in the clause introduced by cuando. Termine is the first-person singular present subjunctive form of terminar, “to finish.” In cuando termine, it refers to the speaker finishing, and the subjunctive fits because that finishing is viewed as a future condition or time point. Compare Termino ahora. — “I am finishing now.” Here termino is present indicative, whereas termine is used in the anticipated-time clause. Together, Devolveré todo means “I will return everything,” and cuando termine adds the time condition “when I finish.” The complete utterance therefore means: “I will return everything when I finish.”

9. Deja la regla encima para que pueda encontrarla después.

   Leave the ruler on top so I can find it later.

   Deja

   leave

   regla

   ruler

   encima

   on top

   para que

   so that

   pueda

   can

   encontrarla

   find it

   después

   later

   More detail

   Deja is the affirmative command form of dejar for tú singular: “leave” or “put down.” The command is directed to one familiar or informal addressee; it is not the usted form. For example: Deja el libro aquí. — “Leave the book here.” regla means “ruler.” It is a feminine singular noun, as shown here by la regla. The article is important because Spanish nouns have grammatical gender; the object itself is one ruler, but the indefinite or definite article should not be treated as a numerical claim by itself. encima means “on top” or “above.” Here it indicates where the ruler should be left. A common pattern is encima de + noun, as in El lápiz está encima del libro. — “The pencil is on top of the book.” para que introduces a purpose clause: “so that” or “in order that.” It normally takes a subjunctive verb when expressing the intended result or purpose of the main action. The subject of the purpose clause can differ from the person receiving the command. pueda is the first-person singular present subjunctive of poder, “can” or “be able to.” Its implied subject is yo, the person who will be able to find the ruler. The subjunctive appears after para que because this is a desired purpose, not a separately asserted fact. Compare the present indicative puedo (“I can”) with the subjunctive pueda in this construction. encontrarla combines the infinitive encontrar, “to find,” with the direct-object clitic la, “it.” Here la refers to the feminine singular regla, and its form agrees with that noun. Spanish object clitics can attach to an infinitive: Quiero encontrarla. — “I want to find it.” The clitic is not part of the verb’s base form. después means “later” here. It places the finding after the time of the command, without specifying exactly when. For example: Lo revisaré después. — “I will check it later.” Together, Deja la regla encima gives the command to leave the ruler on top, and para que pueda encontrarla después gives the purpose: so that the speaker can find the ruler later. The complete meaning is: “Leave the ruler on top so I can find it later.”