Dealing with a cracked phone screen | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. Se me cayó el teléfono y la pantalla está agrietada, pero todavía funciona.

   I dropped my phone, and the screen is cracked but still works.

   Se me cayó

   I dropped it

   el teléfono

   the phone

   la pantalla

   the screen

   agrietada

   cracked

   todavía

   still

   funciona

   works

   More detail

   Se me cayó is a common Spanish way to describe an accidental event involving something associated with the speaker. Se presents the falling as unintentional, while me marks the affected person; here, the fixed translation identifies that person as “I.” Cayó is the third-person singular preterite of caer (“to fall”): caer → cayó. The third-person form agrees with the thing that fell, el teléfono, not with me. Example: Se me cayó el vaso. — “I dropped the glass.” El teléfono means “the phone.” Teléfono is a masculine singular noun, so the article is el. The same noun can be plural: los teléfonos — “the phones.” La pantalla means “the screen.” Pantalla is a feminine singular noun, so it takes la; its plural is las pantallas. In this sentence, the fixed translation identifies this screen as the phone’s screen. Agrietada means “cracked” here. It is the feminine singular form of the adjective agrietado/agrietada, agreeing with la pantalla: la pantalla está agrietada. The adjective describes the screen’s resulting condition; está is the form of estar used with this singular subject. Example: La ventana está agrietada. — “The window is cracked.” Todavía means “still” and shows that the situation continues despite the damage. It does not mean that the screen has begun working again; it says that it remains operational. Funciona means “works” in this sentence. It is the third-person singular present form of funcionar: funcionar → funciona. The subject understood here is la pantalla, so the singular form is used. Example: La computadora todavía funciona. — “The computer still works.” Together, Se me cayó el teléfono says that the speaker dropped the phone in an accidental-event construction. Y la pantalla está agrietada adds that the phone’s screen is cracked. Pero todavía funciona contrasts that damage with the fact that the screen still works. The complete meaning is: “I dropped my phone, and the screen is cracked but still works.”

2. Haz una copia de seguridad de tus datos antes de que el daño empeore.

   Back up your data before the damage gets worse.

   Haz

   do / make

   copia de seguridad

   backup

   datos

   data

   antes de que

   before

   daño

   damage

   empeore

   gets worse

   More detail

   Haz is the affirmative command form of hacer for tú singular. Here, hacer means “to make” as part of the expression hacer una copia de seguridad, “to make a backup.” The command is irregular: hacer → haz. Example: Haz una pausa. — “Take a break.” copia de seguridad is the reusable Spanish expression for “backup.” Its head noun is feminine: una copia; the phrase de seguridad specifies what kind of copy it is. The noun can be plural: dos copias de seguridad — “two backups.” datos means “data” here. It is the plural of dato and is commonly used in Spanish for stored or collected information. In tus datos, tus marks possession and agrees in number with plural datos. antes de que introduces an event that is expected or pending: “before …”. It is followed here by a subjunctive clause because the worsening has not yet occurred at the time of the command. Example: Cierra la ventana antes de que llueva. — “Close the window before it rains.” daño is the singular masculine noun “damage” or “harm”; its plural is daños. Here it is the subject of the following clause: the damage is what may worsen. empeore comes from empeorar, “to get worse” or “to worsen.” It is the present subjunctive, third-person singular form, agreeing with singular el daño: el daño empeore. The worsening meaning is expressed by the verb itself, rather than by a separate comparative adjective. Example: Espero que el dolor no empeore. — “I hope the pain does not get worse.” Together, Haz una copia de seguridad de tus datos means “Back up your data.” antes de que el daño empeore adds the time condition “before the damage gets worse.” The complete utterance is therefore a direct, informal singular instruction to back up the listener’s data before the situation worsens.

3. Lo haré ahora. El vidrio roto me preocupa.

   I will do that now. The broken glass is making me nervous.

   Lo

   it; that

   haré

   will do

   ahora

   now

   vidrio

   glass

   roto

   broken

   preocupa

   worries

   More detail

   Lo is a direct-object clitic. Here it refers to the action understood from the context and means “that” in “I will do that”; it is not the subject. Spanish uses lo for a masculine singular noun or for a previously mentioned idea or action. The feminine singular counterpart is la, as in La haré when the referent is feminine. Haré is the first-person singular future of hacer (“to do”): hacer → haré. The future form uses the stem har- and carries the meaning “I will do.” The subject is included in the verb form, so no separate subject pronoun is needed. Lo haré therefore combines the object clitic with the future verb: “I will do that.” Ahora is an adverb meaning “now.” It places the action at the present moment: Lo haré ahora means “I will do that now.” Vidrio is a masculine singular noun meaning “glass.” Its plural is vidrios. In El vidrio, the masculine singular article el agrees with this noun. Here the noun is understood as the glass involved in the situation, and the fixed translation specifies it as “the broken glass.” Roto is the masculine singular form of the adjective roto, related to romper (“to break”). It agrees with the masculine singular noun vidrio: el vidrio roto. Other agreement forms include rota with a feminine singular noun and rotos/rotas with plural nouns. The adjective describes the glass as being in a broken condition; it does not by itself say who or what broke it. For example, La ventana está rota means “The window is broken.” Preocupa is the third-person singular present form of preocupar (“to worry” or “to concern”). In the pattern X me preocupa, X is what causes concern and me identifies the person affected: El vidrio roto me preocupa means “The broken glass worries me” or, as in the fixed translation, “The broken glass is making me nervous.” The verb is singular because el vidrio roto is singular. For example, El ruido me preocupa means “The noise worries me.” Together, Lo haré ahora says that the speaker will carry out the understood action immediately. El vidrio roto me preocupa then presents the broken glass as the singular thing causing the speaker concern. The complete utterance is: “I will do that now. The broken glass is making me nervous.”

4. Ponte un protector de pantalla temporal y evita presionar la pantalla con fuerza.

   Put on a temporary screen protector and avoid pressing hard on it.

   Ponte

   put on

   protector de pantalla

   screen protector

   temporal

   temporary

   evita

   avoid

   presionar

   pressing

   pantalla

   screen

   con fuerza

   with force

   More detail

   Ponte is the affirmative tú command of ponerse, “to put on.” The base verb is poner; in this command, the reflexive pronoun te is attached to the command form pon: pon + te → ponte. Here it tells one person to put something on themselves. Example: Ponte el abrigo. — “Put on your coat.” protector de pantalla means “screen protector.” Protector is a masculine noun, and de pantalla specifies what it protects. This is a useful noun pattern: protector de + thing protected. Example: un protector de teclado — “a keyboard protector.” temporal means “temporary” here and describes protector. It is masculine singular because protector is masculine singular. The form temporal does not change between masculine and feminine singular: un protector temporal, una solución temporal. evita is the affirmative tú command of evitar, “to avoid.” It addresses one person informally. The infinitive after it is presionar, so evita presionar means “avoid pressing.” Example: Evita tocar la herida. — “Avoid touching the wound.” presionar is an infinitive meaning “to press.” After verbs such as evitar, Spanish commonly uses an infinitive for the action to be avoided. Example: Evita cerrar la puerta con fuerza. — “Avoid closing the door forcefully.” pantalla means “screen.” It is a feminine noun, as shown by la pantalla. In this sentence, it is the direct object of presionar: the action is pressing the screen. con fuerza means “forcefully” or “hard.” Literally, it is “with force,” and it describes how the pressing should not be done. The preposition con introduces the manner or force used in an action. Example: No cierres la tapa con fuerza. — “Do not close the lid forcefully.” Together, Ponte un protector de pantalla temporal says “Put on a temporary screen protector.” The indefinite article un introduces the protector without asserting a particular numeric count. y evita presionar la pantalla con fuerza adds “and avoid pressing the screen hard.” The full utterance is therefore: “Put on a temporary screen protector and avoid pressing hard on it.”

5. ¿Debería seguir usándolo hasta que un servicio de reparación lo revise?

   Should I keep using it until a repair service checks it?

   Debería

   should

   seguir

   continue

   usándolo

   using it

   hasta que

   until

   servicio

   service

   reparación

   repair

   lo

   it

   revise

   checks

   More detail

   Debería is the conditional form of deber. In this question, the translation identifies the implicit subject as the speaker, so it means “I should.” It expresses a recommendation or advisable action, not a definite future. Compare debo (“I must / I owe”) with debería (“I should”). Seguir means “to continue” and commonly introduces a gerund to express continuing an activity: seguir + gerundio. Example: Sigo esperando. — “I am still waiting.” Usándolo combines the gerund usando (“using”) with the direct-object clitic lo (“it”): usar → usando → usándolo. The written accent preserves the stress when the clitic is attached. Here, it refers to the item being used; the supplied texts support “it” but do not uniquely identify that item by name. Hasta que introduces the endpoint of the continued action: “until.” With an event that has not yet been completed at that point, Spanish commonly uses the subjunctive after this expression. It marks when the continued use is to stop or reach its limit. Servicio means “service.” It is a masculine singular noun, as shown by un servicio in the full phrase. Reparación means “repair” and is a feminine singular noun. Together, un servicio de reparación means “a repair service”; de reparación specifies the type of service. Lo is a singular direct-object clitic. It can represent a grammatically masculine singular or neuter referent; the form itself does not identify which item is meant here. In lo revise, it represents the item that the repair service checks. Compare La reviso. — “I check it,” when the object is grammatically feminine. Revise is the third-person singular present subjunctive form of revisar, “to check” or “to inspect.” After hasta que, it presents the repair service’s checking as an event not yet completed at the relevant point. The subject is un servicio de reparación, so singular revise is appropriate. Example: Esperaré hasta que el técnico termine. — “I’ll wait until the technician finishes.” The utterance combines debería with seguir usándolo to ask whether the speaker ought to continue using the item. Hasta que un servicio de reparación lo revise sets the endpoint: the continued use is considered up to the time when a repair service inspects that item. The whole meaning is: “Should I keep using it until a repair service checks it?”

6. Úsalo solo para tareas sencillas, porque el vidrio suelto puede cortarte el dedo.

   Use it only for simple tasks, because loose glass can cut your finger.

   Úsalo

   Use it

   solo

   only

   tareas

   tasks

   sencillas

   simple

   vidrio

   glass

   suelto

   loose

   puede

   can

   cortarte

   cut you

   dedo

   finger

   More detail

   Úsalo means “use it” here. The form is an affirmative command for tú (one listener): usa is the command form of usar, and lo is a masculine singular direct-object clitic attached to the verb. The translation and surrounding context support “it” as the object already being used; they do not identify it more specifically. Compare úsala for a feminine singular object and úsenlo for an ustedes command. solo limits the purpose: “only.” Thus the instruction allows the use for the stated purpose but does not present that purpose as the only possible activity in general. Its placement after Úsalo makes the restriction apply to the use that follows. tareas is the plural of tarea, “task.” A useful pattern is para + noun for purpose: para tareas = “for tasks.” Example: Lo uso para tareas cortas. — “I use it for short tasks.” sencillas is the feminine plural form of sencillo, “simple.” It agrees with tareas, which is feminine plural: tarea sencilla, tareas sencillas. The masculine forms are sencillo and sencillos; the adjective, not the noun, carries this agreement. vidrio means “glass” here, referring to the material or object understood from context. In this sentence it is the subject of the following clause. Example: El vidrio está limpio. — “The glass is clean.” suelto is the masculine singular form of suelto, “loose.” It agrees with vidrio: vidrio suelto. The adjective changes for agreement, as in una pieza suelta and varias piezas sueltas. puede is the third-person singular present form of poder, “can” or “be able to.” Here vidrio suelto is singular, so the verb is singular: El vidrio puede cortar — “The glass can cut.” With a plural subject, use pueden. cortarte combines the infinitive cortar, “to cut,” with the attached clitic te, “you.” In this sentence, te marks the person who may be cut; it is not the subject. With another object, the form changes, for example cortarlo = “to cut it” when lo refers to a masculine singular direct object. dedo means “finger.” The phrase el dedo identifies the body part that may be cut. Example: Me corté el dedo. — “I cut my finger.” Together, Úsalo solo para tareas sencillas gives the instruction “Use it only for simple tasks.” porque introduces the reason, “because”: el vidrio suelto is the singular subject, puede expresses the possible danger, and cortarte el dedo means “cut your finger.” The complete meaning is: “Use it only for simple tasks, because loose glass can cut your finger.”

7. Puedo guardarlo en una funda y llevarlo con cuidado.

   I can keep it in a case and carry it carefully.

   Puedo

   I can

   guardarlo

   keep it

   funda

   case

   llevarlo

   carry it

   con cuidado

   carefully

   More detail

   Puedo is the first-person singular present form of poder: “I can” or “I am able to.” It expresses the speaker’s ability or possibility here. Poder is followed by an infinitive: Puedo guardar... means “I can keep...”. guardarlo combines the infinitive guardar (“to keep” or “to store”) with the attached direct-object pronoun lo (“it”). The pronoun refers to the item being handled, without the supplied sentence identifying that item more specifically. In Spanish, an object pronoun attached to an infinitive is written as one word: guardar + lo → guardarlo. Example: Quiero guardarlo aquí. — “I want to keep it here.” funda means “case” or “cover,” a container or covering for protecting something. The full phrase en una funda means “in a case”; en marks the place or container, and una is the feminine singular indefinite article agreeing with funda. Example: La llave está en una funda. — “The key is in a case.” llevarlo combines the infinitive llevar (“to carry” or “to take”) with the attached direct-object pronoun lo. As in guardarlo, lo is masculine singular or neuter in form; the form itself does not identify the specific referent beyond the supported meaning “it.” The two infinitives can be coordinated after puedo: Puedo guardar... y llevar... — “I can keep... and carry...”. Example: Puedo llevarlo mañana. — “I can carry it tomorrow.” con cuidado is a prepositional expression meaning “carefully” or, more literally, “with care.” It describes how the carrying is done. Cuidado is a noun here, not an adjective. Example: Mueve la caja con cuidado. — “Move the box carefully.” Together, Puedo guardarlo en una funda says “I can keep it in a case,” and y llevarlo con cuidado adds “and carry it carefully.” The complete utterance is therefore: “I can keep it in a case and carry it carefully.”

8. Eso debería reducir el riesgo mientras coordinas la reparación.

   That should lower the risk while you arrange the repair.

   Eso

   that

   debería

   should

   reducir

   lower; reduce

   riesgo

   risk

   mientras

   while

   coordinas

   arrange; coordinate

   reparación

   repair

   More detail

   Eso is a neuter demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” here. It points to an already understood situation or matter rather than identifying a specific masculine or feminine noun. Spanish also uses esto for “this” and aquello for “that over there” or something more distant. debería is the third-person singular conditional form of deber. Here, debería + infinitive expresses an expected or likely result: “should reduce.” The conditional makes the prediction less direct than present debe (“must” or “should,” depending on context). For a past expectation, Spanish uses forms such as debía (“was supposed to” or “had to”), depending on the intended meaning. reducir is an infinitive meaning “to reduce” or “to lower.” It follows debería, so debería reducir means “should reduce.” Example: Esto puede reducir el ruido. — “This can reduce the noise.” el riesgo means “the risk.” Riesgo is a masculine singular noun, so it appears with the masculine singular article el. Its plural is los riesgos. The adjective arriesgado (“risky”) is related in meaning but is not the noun’s form. mientras introduces an event occurring at the same time as another event: “while.” It does not by itself mean that one action replaces the other. Example: Lee mientras espera. — “She reads while she waits.” coordinas is the second-person singular present indicative form of coordinar: tú coordinas, “you arrange” or “you coordinate.” The ending identifies the addressee as singular and familiar/informal tú; it is not the usted form. The infinitive is coordinar, and the first-person singular form is coordino (“I arrange” or “I coordinate”). la reparación means “the repair.” Reparación is a feminine singular noun, hence la; its plural is las reparaciones. The phrase coordinar la reparación means “arrange or coordinate the repair,” with la reparación as what is being arranged. Together, Eso debería reducir el riesgo means “That should lower the risk.” Mientras coordinas la reparación adds the simultaneous action “while you arrange the repair.” The complete utterance is therefore: “That should lower the risk while you arrange the repair.”

9. Voy a reservar el servicio de reparación en vez de esperar.

   I will book a repair instead of waiting.

   Voy a

   I am going to; I will

   reservar

   to book; to reserve

   servicio

   service

   reparación

   repair

   en vez de

   instead of

   esperar

   to wait

   More detail

   Voy a is a common Spanish way to express a planned or imminent action: ir in the present + a + an infinitive. Voy is the first-person singular form of ir, so the understood subject is “I.” It does not by itself assert a fixed future time. Example: Voy a llamar. — “I’m going to call.” reservar means “to book” or “to reserve.” It is an infinitive, so it names the action without marking a person or tense. The form changes when the subject and tense change: reservo means “I book,” while reservé means “I booked.” Here, voy a reservar presents booking as the speaker’s planned action. servicio means “service.” It is a masculine noun: el servicio. In this sentence it is the thing being booked. Example: Necesito un servicio. — “I need a service.” The indefinite article un introduces a service without stating a numeric count. reparación means “repair.” It is a feminine noun: la reparación. In servicio de reparación, de links the service with its purpose or type: “repair service.” The related verb reparar means “to repair,” but reparación is the noun for the repair itself. Example: La reparación empieza mañana. — “The repair starts tomorrow.” en vez de means “instead of” and introduces the alternative that is not chosen. Before an infinitive, it forms a reusable pattern: en vez de + infinitive. Here, waiting is presented as the alternative to booking, so the speaker chooses booking rather than waiting. Example: Voy a llamar en vez de escribir. — “I’m going to call instead of writing.” esperar means “to wait” in this sentence. It is an infinitive after en vez de, so it does not show a separate subject or tense. Spanish esperar can also mean “to hope” in other contexts, but the fixed translation supports the meaning “to wait” here. Example: Prefiero esperar. — “I prefer to wait.” Together, Voy a reservar el servicio de reparación means “I am going to book the repair service,” and en vez de esperar adds the alternative “instead of waiting.” The complete utterance therefore means: “I will book a repair instead of waiting.”

10. Las grietas pequeñas pueden extenderse si sigues usando el teléfono.

    Small cracks can spread if you keep using the phone.

    grietas

    cracks

    pequeñas

    small

    pueden

    can

    extenderse

    spread

    si

    if

    sigues usando

    keep using

    teléfono

    phone

    More detail

    grietas means “cracks” here. It is the plural of the feminine noun grieta; the singular is grieta, and the plural adds -s. For example: Hay una grieta en la pantalla. — “There is a crack in the screen.” pequeñas describes grietas. It is the feminine plural form of pequeño and matches the noun in gender and number: una grieta pequeña / unas grietas pequeñas. The adjective means “small” here, not “few.” pueden is the present-tense third-person plural form of poder, used with las grietas. poder + infinitive expresses ability or possibility: Las grietas pueden crecer. — “The cracks can grow.” extenderse is the infinitive extender with the attached pronoun se. In this sentence, extenderse means “to spread” or “to extend,” with the cracks themselves undergoing the change. The infinitive follows pueden: pueden extenderse — “can spread.” si introduces the condition “if.” It is different from sí with an accent, which means “yes” or can mean “oneself” in another grammatical use. Here, si links the possible spread to the condition that follows. sigues usando combines the present form sigues of seguir with the gerund usando of usar. With seguir + gerund, Spanish expresses continuing an action: sigues usando means “you keep using” or “you continue using.” Sigues is the second-person singular form for tú; the subject is understood from the verb. For example: Sigues aprendiendo español. — “You keep learning Spanish.” teléfono is the masculine singular noun “phone.” Its base form is teléfono; the source uses el teléfono, with the masculine singular definite article. The written accent remains on the é. Together, Las grietas pequeñas is the subject “small cracks.” Pueden extenderse says that they can spread. The conditional clause si sigues usando el teléfono gives the condition: “if you keep using the phone.” The complete utterance means: “Small cracks can spread if you keep using the phone.”