Borrowing a screwdriver and returning it clean | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. ¿Podría pedirte prestado tu destornillador para una pequeña reparación?

   Could I borrow your screwdriver for a small repair?

   Podría

   Could I…?

   pedirte

   ask you

   prestado

   borrowed; on loan

   tu

   your

   destornillador

   screwdriver

   pequeña

   small

   reparación

   repair

   More detail

   Podría is the conditional form of poder for yo or él/ella/usted; here, with the question and the fixed translation, it expresses a polite “could I…?” request. The conditional softens the request rather than asserting that borrowing will happen. Compare puedo (“can I?”), which is more direct. Example: ¿Podría abrir la ventana? — “Could I open the window?” pedirte combines pedir (“to ask for” or “to request”) with the attached pronoun te (“you,” singular informal). In this sentence, pedir prestado is the reusable construction “to borrow,” literally framed as asking someone for something on loan. The te identifies the person being asked; it is not the object being borrowed. Example: Quiero pedirte un favor. — “I want to ask you a favor.” prestado is the masculine singular form of the adjective/participle prestado, agreeing with the borrowed item, destornillador. In pedir prestado, it helps express that the item is requested on loan. Feminine singular is prestada, and plural forms are prestados and prestadas when agreement requires them. Example: Necesito pedir prestada tu llave. — “I need to borrow your key.” tu means “your” when addressing one person informally. It has no accent here; tú with an accent is the subject pronoun “you.” Tu agrees in number with the possessed noun, not with the owner: tu destornillador is singular, while tus herramientas is plural. destornillador means “screwdriver.” It is a masculine singular noun, and prestado has the corresponding masculine singular form in this sentence. Example: El destornillador está aquí. — “The screwdriver is here.” para introduces the purpose of the request: the screwdriver is wanted for a particular use. una is an indefinite feminine singular article, and here it introduces pequeña reparación; it does not by itself assert a numerical count beyond the normal indefinite reference. pequeña is the feminine singular form of the adjective pequeño, agreeing with the feminine noun reparación. The adjective means “small” here, describing the scope or size of the repair. The masculine singular form is pequeño; plural forms include pequeños and pequeñas. Example: Es una tarea pequeña. — “It is a small task.” reparación means “repair” and is a feminine singular noun. It appears with the feminine singular article una and the feminine singular adjective pequeña. Example: La reparación tardó una hora. — “The repair took an hour.” Together, ¿Podría pedirte prestado tu destornillador...? politely asks the addressed person whether the speaker may borrow that person’s screwdriver. para una pequeña reparación gives the purpose: the screwdriver would be used for a small repair. The complete utterance therefore means, “Could I borrow your screwdriver for a small repair?”

2. Está en la caja de herramientas azul.

   It is in the blue toolbox.

   Está

   is / is located

   caja

   box

   herramientas

   tools

   azul

   blue

   More detail

   Está is the present-tense form of estar for a third-person singular subject. Here estar expresses location: “is located,” not a permanent identity. The subject is understood from the utterance and is rendered as “it” in the fixed translation; its specific identity is not stated here. Compare the reusable pattern Está en + lugar (“It is in/at + place”). caja means “box” and is a feminine singular noun: la caja. Its plural is cajas. In this sentence, en la caja means “in the box.” The phrase caja de herramientas is a common noun combination meaning “toolbox”: de herramientas specifies what kind of box it is. De means “of/for” in this relationship, not a separate location marker. herramientas is the plural of herramienta, “tool.” The feminine article and noun form are visible in las herramientas when the noun is used independently. In caja de herramientas, it identifies the contents or purpose of the box, so the whole combination is “toolbox,” rather than simply “box of tools” as a literal list. azul means “blue.” It is an adjective modifying caja, so its meaning here is “blue” as a property of the toolbox. In Spanish, azul has the same singular form with masculine and feminine nouns: el objeto azul, la caja azul; its plural is azules: las cajas azules. The adjective is singular here because caja is singular. Together, en la caja de herramientas azul means “in the blue toolbox”: en marks the location, la caja de herramientas identifies the toolbox, and azul describes that toolbox. With the understood third-person singular subject and está, the complete utterance means “It is in the blue toolbox.”

3. Necesito apretar los soportes de la estantería.

   I need to tighten the shelf brackets.

   Necesito

   I need

   apretar

   to tighten

   soportes

   brackets; supports

   estantería

   shelf

   More detail

   Necesito is the first-person singular present form of necesitar (“to need”): necesito = “I need.” It is followed by an infinitive when the needed action is stated: Necesito descansar. = “I need to rest.” apretar means “to tighten” here. It is an infinitive, so it does not show who performs the action; necesito supplies the “I.” A useful contrast is aflojar (“to loosen”): Necesito apretar el tornillo. = “I need to tighten the screw.” soportes is the plural of soporte, meaning “brackets” in this hardware context. The plural form refers to more than one bracket. soporte can also mean a support more generally; the fixed translation identifies these as shelf brackets. estantería is a feminine noun meaning “shelf” here. The phrase de la estantería identifies which brackets: they are the brackets of the shelf. The article la agrees with the feminine singular noun estantería; it does not itself add a separate quantity claim. Together, Necesito + apretar expresses “I need to tighten,” while los soportes de la estantería names what must be tightened: the shelf brackets. The complete utterance means, “I need to tighten the shelf brackets.”

4. Usa el destornillador mediano.

   Use the medium screwdriver.

   Usa

   Use

   destornillador

   screwdriver

   mediano

   medium

   More detail

   Usa is the affirmative command form of usar for tú (one person addressed informally). The present-tense form for that person is usas, while the command changes to usa: Usa el lápiz. — “Use the pencil.” This exact form is not the command for usted; that form is use. destornillador is a masculine noun meaning “screwdriver.” Its plural is destornilladores. The article el marks the singular noun phrase here: el destornillador — “the screwdriver.” mediano is the masculine singular form of the adjective mediano, meaning “medium” here. It agrees with the masculine singular noun destornillador. The feminine singular form is mediana, as in una caja mediana — “a medium-sized box”; plural forms include medianos and medianas. Together, Usa gives the command, and el destornillador mediano identifies the tool: “Use the medium screwdriver.”

5. Encaja mejor en esos soportes.

   It fits those brackets better.

   Encaja

   fits

   mejor

   better

   esos

   those

   soportes

   brackets

   More detail

   Encaja is the third-person singular present form of encajar (“to fit,” “to match”). Here it describes one unstated object fitting the brackets. The present tense states the situation as current or generally valid. Example: La pieza encaja. — “The piece fits.” mejor is the comparative adverb “better,” contrasting the fit with another option or arrangement. It modifies encaja, so it means “fits better,” not “is a better bracket.” Example: Aquí encaja mejor. — “It fits better here.” esos is a masculine plural demonstrative meaning “those.” Its form agrees with the masculine plural noun soportes; it marks the brackets as relatively distant or already identifiable in the situation. The translation identifies these supports as brackets, but esos itself does not specify their exact physical distance. Example: Esos funcionan. — “Those work.” soportes is the plural of soporte, a noun for a support or bracket. In this utterance, the fixed translation gives the intended sense “brackets.” The plural form refers to more than one bracket. Example: Los soportes están firmes. — “The brackets are secure.” Together, en esos soportes means “in those brackets,” with en expressing the relevant location or placement. The complete utterance, Encaja mejor en esos soportes., means “It fits those brackets better.”

6. ¿Cuándo debo devolverlo?

   When should I return it?

   ¿Cuándo

   when

   debo

   should

   devolverlo

   return it

   More detail

   ¿Cuándo asks about time: “when?” The opening question mark is Spanish punctuation, and the accent mark distinguishes cuándo in a question from the unaccented conjunction cuando (“when” in a non-question clause). Example: ¿Cuándo llega? — “When does it arrive?” debo is the first-person singular present form of deber. Here deber expresses what the speaker ought to do, so debo means “I should” in this question. The form identifies the speaker as the subject; it does not itself specify an exact deadline. Example: Debo salir. — “I should leave.” devolverlo combines the infinitive devolver (“to return”) with the attached direct-object pronoun lo (“it”): devolver + lo → devolverlo. The pronoun refers to the item being returned, while its exact noun is not stated in the supplied sentence. With a feminine singular object, Spanish uses devolverla; with plural objects, devolverlos or devolverlas, according to the object’s grammatical gender. Example: Debo devolverla mañana. — “I should return it tomorrow.” Together, ¿Cuándo asks for the time, debo expresses the speaker’s obligation or advice about their own action, and devolverlo names that action with its object attached to the infinitive. The whole utterance means “When should I return it?”

7. Por favor, tráelo de vuelta antes de la cena.

   Please bring it back before dinner.

   Por favor

   please

   tráelo

   bring it

   de vuelta

   back

   antes de

   before

   cena

   dinner

   More detail

   Por favor is a polite request marker meaning “please.” It softens the command but does not change who is being addressed or what action is requested. tráelo means “bring it.” The verb is traer (“to bring”), and trae is its affirmative command form for tú singular. The object pronoun lo is attached to the command: trae + lo → tráelo. The accent mark preserves the intended stress after the pronoun is attached. Here, lo refers to the item being returned, without the sentence identifying that item by name. de vuelta adds the idea of returning something to its previous place or state: “back.” It combines with traer in the reusable pattern traer algo de vuelta, “to bring something back.” antes de introduces an earlier time: “before.” It is followed here by the noun phrase la cena, “dinner.” For a clause, Spanish can use antes de que plus a verb, as in Sal antes de que oscurezca — “Leave before it gets dark.” cena is the noun “dinner.” Its base form is cena; the definite phrase la cena refers to the meal as a known event or time. A related but different noun is desayuno, “breakfast.” Together, Por favor, tráelo de vuelta says “Please bring it back,” and antes de la cena sets the deadline as a time earlier than dinner. The complete utterance is: “Please bring it back before dinner.”

8. Si se llena de polvo, primero lo limpiaré.

   If it gets dusty, I'll wipe it off first.

   Si

   if

   se llena

   gets filled

   polvo

   dust

   primero

   first

   lo

   it

   limpiaré

   I will clean/wipe

   More detail

   Si introduces a condition: “if.” It connects a possible situation with the result that follows. Example: Si llueve, me quedaré en casa. — “If it rains, I’ll stay home.” se llena comes from llenarse, “to become filled” or “to fill up.” Here, se is part of the verb, and llena is the present-tense form for a third-person singular subject. With de polvo, the phrase means “gets dusty” literally as “becomes filled with dust.” Example: La caja se llena de arena. — “The box fills with sand.” polvo is the noun “dust.” The construction llenarse de + noun describes what something becomes filled with: llenarse de agua — “to fill with water.” primero means “first” and marks the order of the action. Example: Primero cierro la puerta. — “First I close the door.” lo is a masculine-singular direct-object clitic, meaning “it” here. It refers to the item already being brought back in the surrounding exchange; the fixed translation identifies it as the thing that will be wiped. Spanish object clitics agree with the grammatical gender and number of the noun they replace: lo for a masculine singular object, la for a feminine singular object, and los/las for plural objects. In lo limpiaré, lo comes before the conjugated verb. limpiaré is the first-person singular future of limpiar, “to clean.” The ending -é marks “I will”: limpiaré — “I will clean.” With lo, the result is lo limpiaré, “I will clean it.” The context-specific sense here is wiping the item clean; limpiar can also mean cleaning more generally. Together, Si se llena de polvo gives the condition “If it gets dusty.” Primero lo limpiaré gives the planned result and order: “I’ll clean/wipe it first.” The whole utterance is: “If it gets dusty, I’ll wipe it off first.”

9. Eso ayuda a mantener las herramientas en buen estado.

   That helps keep the tools in good shape.

   Eso

   That

   ayuda

   helps

   mantener

   keep

   herramientas

   tools

   buen

   good

   estado

   condition

   More detail

   Eso means “that” here. It is the neuter demonstrative used for an idea, event, or situation rather than for a specifically named masculine or feminine noun. Compare esto “this” and aquello “that over there”; the choice depends on discourse or distance. ayuda is the third-person singular present form of ayudar, “helps.” A useful pattern is ayudar a + infinitive, meaning “to help do something.” Example: La rutina ayuda a aprender. — “The routine helps you learn.” mantener is the infinitive “to keep” or “to maintain.” After ayuda a, the verb stays in the infinitive. Its present third-person singular form is mantiene, “keeps.” Example: El filtro ayuda a mantener el aire limpio. — “The filter helps keep the air clean.” herramientas means “tools.” It is the plural of the feminine noun herramienta; the preceding las marks feminine plural definiteness. Example: Guardo las herramientas aquí. — “I keep the tools here.” buen means “good” here. It is the shortened form of bueno before a masculine singular noun, as in buen estado. The adjective agrees with estado, not with herramientas. Before a feminine singular noun, the form is buena, as in una buena herramienta. estado means “condition” or “state” here. It is a masculine singular noun, so the phrase is buen estado. The complete expression en buen estado means “in good condition” or “in good shape.” Together, ayuda a mantener expresses “helps keep,” las herramientas identifies what is kept, and en buen estado describes their condition. Thus Eso ayuda a mantener las herramientas en buen estado. means “That helps keep the tools in good shape.”