Saving leftovers for tomorrow | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. Hay muchas sobras de la cena.

   There are a lot of leftovers from dinner.

   Hay

   there is / there are

   muchas

   many / a lot of

   sobras

   leftovers

   cena

   dinner

   More detail

   Hay is the present form of haber used impersonally to say that something exists or is present: “there is” or “there are.” It does not change to agree with the noun that follows. Compare Hay una sobra (“There is one leftover”) and Hay muchas sobras (“There are many leftovers”). muchas means “many” or, in this sentence, “a lot of.” It is the feminine plural form of mucho and agrees with the plural feminine noun sobras: mucho, mucha, muchos, muchas. This form describes a large amount or number; it does not by itself specify an exact count. sobras is the plural of the feminine noun sobra, meaning “leftover” or “leftovers.” Here it refers to food remaining after the dinner. The plural ending -s marks more than one leftover item or portion. Example: Guardamos las sobras. — “We put the leftovers away.” cena is the feminine noun for “dinner” or “evening meal.” In de la cena, de introduces the source or relation: the leftovers are from the dinner. The article la is feminine singular because it agrees with cena; it does not mean that there was one dinner as a numerical count. Together, Hay + muchas sobras says that many leftovers exist, and de la cena identifies them as leftovers from dinner. The complete meaning is: “There are a lot of leftovers from dinner.”

2. Vamos a ponerlas en un recipiente limpio.

   Let's put them in a clean container.

   Vamos a

   let’s

   ponerlas

   put them

   recipiente

   container

   limpio

   clean

   More detail

   Vamos a introduces a suggestion or planned action: “let’s …”. Here vamos is the first-person plural form of ir (“to go”), followed by a and an infinitive. This ir a + infinitive pattern can also express a near-future plan: Vamos a comer = “We are going to eat.” ponerlas means “to put them” here. It is the infinitive poner (“to put”) with the attached direct-object pronoun las. The context and fixed translation identify las as the feminine plural leftovers, las sobras; the pronoun replaces that noun and keeps its feminine plural form. Compare ponerlo for a masculine singular object and ponerlas for feminine plural objects. In this sentence, the pronoun is attached to the infinitive; the pattern is poner + las → ponerlas. recipiente means “container.” It is a masculine noun in this use, as shown by the agreeing adjective limpio. A reusable pattern is un recipiente limpio = “a clean container.” limpio means “clean” here. It is the masculine singular form of the adjective limpio; it agrees with recipiente, which is masculine singular. The feminine singular form is limpia, as in una caja limpia (“a clean box”), and the plural forms are limpios and limpias. Together, Vamos a + ponerlas expresses the suggestion “let’s put them,” and en un recipiente limpio specifies the destination: “in a clean container.” The complete meaning is “Let’s put them in a clean container.”

3. ¿Puedo recalentar las sobras para el almuerzo de mañana?

   Can I reheat them for lunch tomorrow?

   ¿Puedo

   Can I?

   recalentar

   reheat

   sobras

   leftovers

   almuerzo

   lunch

   mañana

   tomorrow

   More detail

   ¿Puedo comes from poder (“to be able to, can”). Puedo is the present-tense first-person singular form, so the speaker asks about their own ability or permission. In this sentence, the intended meaning is “Can I…?” recalentar is the infinitive “to reheat.” After a conjugated form of poder, Spanish uses an infinitive: puedo recalentar = “I can reheat.” The verb is built from calentar (“to heat”) with the prefix re-, indicating doing it again. Example: Puedes recalentar la sopa. — “You can reheat the soup.” sobras means “leftovers,” food remaining from an earlier meal. It is the plural of the feminine noun sobra; the article las also shows feminine plural agreement. Example: Guardamos las sobras. — “We store the leftovers.” almuerzo means “lunch.” It is the masculine singular noun el almuerzo; here it appears in the phrase para el almuerzo, “for lunch.” Example: El almuerzo está listo. — “Lunch is ready.” mañana can mean “tomorrow” when it refers to the following day, as it does here. It can also mean “morning” in other contexts, so the surrounding phrase determines the meaning. In el almuerzo de mañana, de mañana identifies the lunch as tomorrow’s lunch. Together, ¿Puedo recalentar las sobras asks whether the speaker may or can reheat the leftovers. para el almuerzo de mañana gives the purpose and time: “for tomorrow’s lunch.” The whole utterance is therefore: “Can I reheat them for lunch tomorrow?” Here, “them” refers to the leftovers identified by las sobras.

4. Puedes hacerlo si las guardamos en la nevera hasta entonces.

   You can if we keep them in the fridge until then.

   Puedes

   you can

   hacerlo

   do it

   si

   if

   las

   them

   guardamos

   we keep

   nevera

   fridge

   hasta entonces

   until then

   More detail

   Puedes is the present-tense form of poder for tú: “you can” or “you are able to.” Here it expresses ability or permission to do what follows. Puedo means “I can,” while puedes means “you can.” Example: Puedes entrar. — “You can come in.” hacerlo combines the infinitive hacer (“to do/make”) with the direct-object pronoun lo (“it”). The pronoun is attached to the infinitive, so hacer + lo becomes hacerlo. In this sentence, lo refers to the action understood from the context, not to the feminine plural items later referred to by las. Example: Quiero hacerlo. — “I want to do it.” si introduces a condition: “if.” It is different from sí with an accent, which means “yes.” The pattern puedes ... si ... means “you can ... if ...”. las is a feminine plural direct-object pronoun meaning “them” here. The fixed translation identifies the items as the things being kept; its feminine plural form agrees with the understood feminine plural noun from the context. In general, la means “her/it” for a feminine singular object, and las means “them” for feminine plural objects. Example: Las guardo. — “I keep them.” guardamos is the first-person plural present form of guardar, “to keep” or “to store”: “we keep/store.” Its subject is nosotros or nosotras, expressed by the verb ending rather than by a separate pronoun. The same written form can also be the first-person plural preterite (“we kept”), but si and the intended future condition make the present reading appropriate here. Example: Guardamos la comida aquí. — “We keep the food here.” nevera means “fridge” or “refrigerator.” With en, the phrase en la nevera means “in the fridge.” Example: La leche está en la nevera. — “The milk is in the fridge.” hasta entonces means “until then.” hasta marks the endpoint, and entonces refers to a time already established in the conversation. Together, they specify how long the storing condition lasts. Example: Espera hasta entonces. — “Wait until then.” Together, Puedes hacerlo means “You can do it.” The condition si las guardamos en la nevera hasta entonces means “if we keep them in the fridge until then.” The whole utterance therefore means: “You can if we keep them in the fridge until then.”

5. ¿Debo poner una etiqueta en el recipiente?

   Should I put a label on the container?

   Debo

   I should; I ought to

   poner

   put; place

   etiqueta

   label

   recipiente

   container

   More detail

   Debo is the first-person singular present form of deber. Here, with the intended meaning supplied by the translation, it expresses “I should” or “I ought to.” Compare debes for “you should” and debe for “he, she, or you formal should.” poner means “to put” or “to place.” After the conjugated form debo, it remains in the infinitive: debo poner = “I should put.” Example: Debo poner la llave aquí. — “I should put the key here.” etiqueta is a feminine singular noun meaning “label.” Its plural is etiquetas. una etiqueta means “a label”; the indefinite article does not by itself state a particular numeric count. la etiqueta means “the label,” referring to an identified label. recipiente means “container.” Its plural is recipientes. In el recipiente, el is the masculine singular definite article, and the complete phrase means “the container.” The preposition en connects the label with the container and, in this sentence, is rendered as “on.” The question pattern ¿Debo + infinitive ...? asks whether the speaker should perform the action. Thus, ¿Debo poner una etiqueta en el recipiente? means “Should I put a label on the container?”

6. Así, mañana sabremos qué hay dentro.

   That way, tomorrow we will know what is inside.

   Así

   that way

   mañana

   tomorrow

   sabremos

   we will know

   qué hay dentro

   what is inside

   More detail

   Así means “that way” here: it links the upcoming result to a method or arrangement already understood. It can also mean “like this” when pointing to a manner. Example: Hazlo así. — “Do it that way.” mañana means “tomorrow,” the day after today. It is an adverb, so it does not change form for person or number. Example: Mañana trabajo. — “Tomorrow I work.” sabremos is the future form of saber (“to know”) for nosotros (“we”): saber → sabremos. It expresses knowledge that will be available in the future, not an action of finding something. Compare sabemos (“we know”) with sabremos (“we will know”). Example: Mañana sabremos la respuesta. — “Tomorrow we will know the answer.” qué hay dentro is an indirect question meaning “what is inside.” Qué has an accent because it introduces a question, even though the question is contained within the larger sentence. Hay is the impersonal present form of haber, used here to say that something exists or is located there: literally, “what there is inside.” Dentro means “inside” and does not identify the thing or place by itself; the surrounding context supplies what location is meant. Example: No sé qué hay dentro. — “I don’t know what is inside.” Together, Así presents the way or arrangement, mañana places the result in the future, and sabremos qué hay dentro says that “we” will then know what is inside. The complete meaning is: “That way, tomorrow we will know what is inside.”

7. Le pondré una etiqueta clara.

   I'll put a clear label on it.

   Le

   to it

   pondré

   I will put

   etiqueta

   label

   clara

   clear

   More detail

   Le is an indirect-object pronoun meaning “to it” here. In this use, le is singular but does not show the gender of the referent; the plural form is les. The fixed translation identifies the referent as “it.” Spanish uses le for an indirect recipient or affected target, including an inanimate one in this construction. It differs from direct-object forms such as lo or la. Pondré is the first-person singular future form of poner (“to put”): pondré = “I will put.” The future form identifies the subject as “I” and places the action in the future here. The future stem is pondr-: pondrás means “you will put,” while pondrá means “he, she, or you formal will put.” Example: Pondré la comida aquí. — “I will put the food here.” Etiqueta is a feminine singular noun meaning “label.” Its plural is etiquetas. In this sentence, una etiqueta refers to a singular label; the indefinite article does not by itself add a separate numerical claim. Example: La etiqueta tiene mi nombre. — “The label has my name.” Clara is the feminine singular form of the adjective claro, meaning “clear” here. It agrees with the feminine singular noun etiqueta; the masculine singular form is claro, as in un mensaje claro (“a clear message”). The adjective follows the noun in this phrase. Example: Es una instrucción clara. — “It is a clear instruction.” Together, le pondré means “I will put [it] on it,” with le identifying the affected target, and una etiqueta clara means “a clear label.” The complete utterance is therefore “I’ll put a clear label on it.”

8. Eso hará que el almuerzo sea más fácil.

   That will make lunch easier.

   Eso

   that

   hará

   will make

   almuerzo

   lunch

   más fácil

   easier

   More detail

   Eso means “that” here and points back to the preceding action or idea. As a neuter demonstrative pronoun, eso does not show the gender or number of a noun; it can refer to a situation, statement, or action. Example: Eso ayuda mucho. — “That helps a lot.” hará is the third-person singular future form of hacer, “to make” or “to do”: hacer → hará. In this sentence, the relevant meaning is “will make.” The pattern hacer que + [subjunctive clause] expresses causing a result: Eso hará que ... means “That will make ...” or “That will cause ...”. almuerzo is the noun “lunch.” Its base form is almuerzo; the related verb almorzar means “to have lunch,” but it is a different word and should not be treated as the noun’s base form. With the definite article, el almuerzo means “lunch” as the meal being discussed. más fácil means “easier.” fácil is the adjective “easy,” and más + adjective forms a comparative: más fácil = “easier” or literally “more easy.” Fácil has the same singular form with masculine and feminine nouns; its plural is fáciles. Example: Esta tarea es más fácil. — “This task is easier.” In que el almuerzo sea más fácil, que introduces the result caused by hará, and sea is the subjunctive form of ser used for that result. The complete structure is Eso hará que + el almuerzo + sea más fácil: “That will make lunch easier.”