Borrowing a laptop charger at work | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. La batería de mi portátil está casi agotada.

   My laptop battery is almost empty.

   batería

   battery

   portátil

   laptop

   está

   is

   agotada

   empty; depleted

   More detail

   batería means “battery” here. It is a feminine singular noun, so a related adjective can take the feminine singular form: una batería agotada (“a depleted battery”). The plural is baterías. portátil means “laptop” here. As a noun, it refers to a portable computer; as an adjective, it can mean “portable.” The form portátil is used with both masculine and feminine singular nouns, while the plural is portátiles. In mi portátil, mi expresses possession: “my laptop.” está is the third-person singular present form of estar (“to be”). Spanish uses estar here for the battery’s current state or condition. Its form matches the singular subject la batería; it does not show gender. Compare está (“is”) with están (“are”) for a plural subject. casi means “almost” and limits agotada: the battery is very nearly depleted, but the sentence does not say that it is completely empty. The pattern casi + adjective is reusable, as in El informe está casi listo (“The report is almost ready”). agotada means “empty” or “depleted” in this context: the battery has almost no charge left. It is the feminine singular form of agotado, agreeing with la batería. The masculine singular form is agotado, and the plural forms are agotados or agotadas according to the noun’s gender and number. For example, La batería está agotada means “The battery is depleted.” Together, La batería de mi portátil means “my laptop’s battery” or “the battery of my laptop.” Está casi agotada says that this singular feminine battery is currently nearly depleted. The complete utterance is: “My laptop battery is almost empty.”

2. Puedes tomar prestado mi cargador hasta la reunión.

   You can borrow my charger until the meeting.

   Puedes

   can; are able to

   tomar prestado

   borrow

   cargador

   charger

   hasta

   until

   reunión

   meeting

   More detail

   Puedes is the present-tense form of poder for tú (second-person singular). Here it expresses ability or permission: “you can.” The infinitive after poder stays unchanged: Puedes esperar = “You can wait.” tomar prestado is a reusable way to say “to borrow.” tomar is the infinitive of “take,” while prestado is the masculine singular form of prestado/a and agrees here with the implied masculine singular object, el cargador. Spanish also uses pedir prestado for “ask to borrow,” which emphasizes the request rather than the act of borrowing. Example: Puedo tomar prestada tu llave. = “I can borrow your key.” Here prestada is feminine singular because it agrees with la llave. cargador is a masculine noun meaning “charger.” Its common singular form is el cargador; the plural is los cargadores. In this sentence, mi means “my” and identifies the charger as belonging to the speaker; possessive mi does not change for masculine and feminine singular nouns. hasta marks a time limit or endpoint: “until” or “up to.” It introduces the point through which the borrowing is allowed. Example: Trabajo hasta las seis. = “I work until six.” reunión is a feminine noun meaning “meeting.” The article confirms the form la reunión; its plural is las reuniones. The accent mark is part of the spelling. Together, Puedes + tomar prestado forms “you can borrow.” mi cargador specifies what may be borrowed, and hasta la reunión sets the endpoint of that arrangement. The complete meaning is: “You can borrow my charger until the meeting.”

3. ¿Es compatible con mi portátil?

   Is it compatible with my laptop?

   Es

   is

   compatible

   compatible

   con

   with

   mi

   my

   portátil

   laptop

   More detail

   Es is the third-person singular present form of ser (“to be”). In this question, it links the understood subject “it” to a description; Spanish often leaves that subject unstated when the context makes it clear. compatible means “compatible” and has the same form for masculine and feminine singular nouns; its plural form is compatibles. Example: La pieza es compatible. — “The part is compatible.” con is the preposition “with.” It introduces what something is compatible with: compatible con este equipo — “compatible with this equipment.” mi is the singular possessive determiner “my.” It marks singular number but does not change for masculine versus feminine: mi portátil and mi batería; with a plural noun, use mis. portátil is the masculine singular noun “laptop” here; its plural is portátiles. The form portátil can also be an adjective meaning “portable” in other contexts, so its role here is the noun referring to a laptop. Together, Es compatible con mi portátil means “It is compatible with my laptop.” The opening and closing question marks make the whole utterance a yes-or-no question: “Is it compatible with my laptop?”

4. Debería serlo, pero comprueba primero el conector.

   It should be, but check the connector first.

   Debería

   should

   serlo

   be so; be it

   pero

   but

   comprueba

   check

   primero

   first

   conector

   connector

   More detail

   Debería is the conditional form of deber. With an infinitive, debería + infinitive commonly expresses what is expected or advisable: Debería funcionar. — “It should work.” The form itself does not mark the subject's gender. serlo combines the infinitive ser (“to be”) with the attached pronoun lo. Here, lo refers to the property or state expressed by the preceding question—being compatible—so debería serlo means “it should be [compatible]” or “it should be so.” In this copular pattern, lo is not the noun “connector,” and it does not indicate a masculine noun. Compare Creo que es difícil, pero no debería serlo. — “I think it is difficult, but it should not be.” pero is the conjunction “but.” It connects the expected assessment with a contrasting instruction. comprueba is the affirmative command form of comprobar addressed to one person informally as tú: Comprueba el cable. — “Check the cable.” The formal singular command is compruebe; the plural command for ustedes is comprueben. primero is the adverb “first.” It tells the listener to perform the checking before other relevant actions: Primero, lee las instrucciones. — “First, read the instructions.” conector is a masculine singular noun meaning “connector.” Its plural is conectores; with the definite article, the noun phrase is el conector. Together, debería serlo says that the item should be compatible, with lo standing for that property. pero introduces the contrasting instruction comprueba primero el conector: “but check the connector first.” The complete utterance means, “It should be, but check the connector first.”

5. Encaja, y la batería se está cargando.

   It fits, and the battery is charging now.

   Encaja

   fits

   batería

   battery

   se está cargando

   is charging

   More detail

   Encaja comes from encajar, “to fit.” Here it is the present indicative, third-person singular: the unstated subject is understood as “it,” matching the fixed translation. The present can describe a current fact or a general property. Example: La tapa encaja. — “The lid fits.” batería is a feminine singular noun meaning “battery.” Its plural is baterías; the feminine article la in the sentence agrees with this noun. Example: La batería está llena. — “The battery is full.” se está cargando expresses an ongoing charging process. está is the third-person singular present of estar, and cargando is the gerund of cargar. Together, estar + gerund describes an action in progress. In this use, se presents the battery as undergoing the charging process; it does not mean that the battery is deliberately charging itself. Example: El teléfono se está cargando. — “The phone is charging.” Together, Encaja states that the relevant item fits, and y links that statement to the current process involving la batería: “It fits, and the battery is charging now.”

6. Devuélvelo a mi escritorio cuando termines.

   Put it back on my desk when you finish.

   Devuélvelo

   Put it back

   escritorio

   desk

   termines

   finish

   More detail

   Devuélvelo means “put it back” here. It is the affirmative command form devuelve of devolver (“to return/hand back”), addressed to one tú listener, with the direct-object clitic lo attached: devuelve + lo → devuélvelo. The accent mark preserves the original stress when the clitic is attached. Here lo refers to the thing being put back, without identifying that thing by itself. escritorio means “desk.” It is a masculine singular noun; its plural is escritorios. The phrase a mi escritorio identifies the destination: “to my desk.” Mi means “my” and does not change for masculine versus feminine nouns; it becomes mis with a plural noun. termines comes from terminar, “to finish.” In cuando termines, the form is second-person singular present subjunctive, matching the tú listener. Spanish commonly uses the subjunctive after cuando when referring to a future or pending event: cuando termines = “when you finish.” For a completed or habitual event, the tense and mood can differ according to the intended meaning. Together, Devuélvelo a mi escritorio gives the command “Put it back on my desk,” and cuando termines specifies the time condition, “when you finish.” The complete utterance is therefore: “Put it back on my desk when you finish.”

7. Lo devolveré antes de que te vayas.

   I'll put it back before you leave.

   Lo

   it

   devolveré

   I’ll put back

   antes de que

   before

   te vayas

   you leave

   More detail

   Lo is a direct-object pronoun meaning “it” here. It is masculine singular (or can refer to a non-specific neuter idea); its form is not the same as la, used for a feminine singular object. In this sentence, the translation identifies the object only as “it,” so its exact identity is not specified. devolveré is the first-person singular future of devolver (“to return” or “to give back”): devolver → devolveré, “I will return/give back.” The ending -é marks “I” in this future form. Example: Te devolveré el libro. — “I’ll give the book back to you.” antes de que introduces an event that happens earlier than another event: “before.” Spanish normally uses the subjunctive after this time expression when the later event is viewed as pending or not yet completed. The pattern is antes de que + subjunctive clause. te vayas means “you leave/go away.” vayas is the second-person singular present subjunctive of ir (“to go”); te is the reflexive pronoun used with irse (“to leave/go away”) for tú. Thus irse → te vayas in this subordinate clause. Example: Llámame antes de que te vayas. — “Call me before you leave.” Together, Lo devolveré means “I’ll put it back,” and antes de que te vayas means “before you leave.” The whole utterance is: “I’ll put it back before you leave.”

8. Eso me da tiempo suficiente antes de que vuelva a necesitarlo.

   That gives me enough time before I need it again.

   Eso

   That

   da

   gives

   tiempo

   time

   suficiente

   enough

   antes de que

   before

   vuelva a necesitarlo

   need it again

   More detail

   Eso is the neuter demonstrative pronoun “that,” used here for something understood from context rather than for a stated masculine or feminine noun. Its form does not identify a specific referent by itself. da is the present-tense form of dar, “to give,” used with a third-person singular subject. In Eso me da..., eso is the subject and me marks the person who receives the benefit: “That gives me...” Related forms include doy “I give” and das “you give” (tú). Example: El trabajo me da experiencia. — “The job gives me experience.” tiempo means “time.” It is a masculine singular noun: el tiempo. Here it is the thing being given, and suficiente describes its amount. suficiente means “enough” or “sufficient.” It agrees with the noun it describes in number: tiempo suficiente is singular, while the plural form is suficientes. The singular form is also used with a singular feminine noun. Example: Tenemos tiempo suficiente. — “We have enough time.” antes de que introduces an event that occurs after the main event: “before ...”. Spanish normally uses a subjunctive clause here when that later event is viewed as pending or not yet realized. Compare antes de salir, “before leaving,” where antes de is followed by an infinitive. vuelva is a present-subjunctive form of volver, “to return” or “to come back.” The same form is used for yo and for él, ella, or usted; its ending alone does not distinguish those subjects. The fixed translation identifies the subject here as “I,” so vuelva means “I return/come back” in this clause. Useful present forms include vuelvo, vuelves, and vuelve; the infinitive is volver. necesitarlo combines the infinitive necesitar, “to need,” with the attached direct-object pronoun lo. Lo is masculine singular in grammatical form; the fixed translation gives only “it,” without identifying the concrete referent. Example: Necesito verlo. — “I need to see it.” Here lo is attached to the infinitive ver. The construction volver a expresses doing something again. In vuelva a necesitarlo, vuelva is the subjunctive form of volver, and a necesitarlo names the action repeated: “need it again.” Thus antes de que vuelva a necesitarlo means “before I need it again.” Together, Eso me da tiempo suficiente means “That gives me enough time,” and antes de que vuelva a necesitarlo specifies the endpoint of that time: “before I need it again.” The complete utterance is: “That gives me enough time before I need it again.”