Preparing for a Stormy Commute | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. Puede haber una tormenta durante mi trayecto al trabajo.

   A storm may hit during my commute.

   Puede haber

   there may be

   tormenta

   storm

   durante

   during

   trayecto

   journey; route

   trabajo

   work; job

   More detail

   Puede haber expresses possibility: “there may be” or “there can be.” Puede is the third-person singular present form of poder; here it combines with the infinitive haber in an impersonal existence pattern. Haber does not change to agree with tormenta: puede haber una tormenta, “there may be a storm,” and puede haber tormentas, “there may be storms.” Example: Puede haber retrasos. — “There may be delays.” tormenta means “storm.” It is a feminine noun, as shown by una tormenta; its plural is tormentas. The noun names the possible weather event here. Example: La tormenta empieza ahora. — “The storm is starting now.” durante means “during” and introduces the period in which something happens. It is followed here by the noun phrase mi trayecto al trabajo. Example: Leo durante el viaje. — “I read during the journey.” trayecto means a journey or route from one place to another. It is a masculine noun: el trayecto, los trayectos. In this sentence, mi trayecto means “my journey,” and the following al trabajo specifies that it is the journey to work. The possessive mi is singular here because it modifies singular trayecto; its plural form is mis, as in mis trayectos. trabajo can mean “work” or “job.” In al trabajo, it refers to the destination or purpose “to work,” matching the fixed translation’s “my commute.” Al is the contraction of a + el: a el trabajo becomes al trabajo. Example: Voy al trabajo en autobús. — “I go to work by bus.” Together, Puede haber una tormenta says that a storm is possible, durante places that possibility in time, and mi trayecto al trabajo identifies the speaker’s journey to work as that period. The complete meaning is: “A storm may hit during my commute.”

2. Si tienes que desplazarte, sal antes y deja abierta la posibilidad de cambiar de ruta.

   If you have to travel, leave earlier and keep your route flexible.

   tienes que

   have to

   desplazarte

   travel

   sal

   leave

   antes

   earlier

   deja

   leave; keep

   abierta

   open

   posibilidad

   possibility

   cambiar

   change

   ruta

   route

   More detail

   tienes que expresses obligation: “you have to.” It uses the present-tense form tienes of tener with que and an infinitive: tener que + infinitive. Here tienes is second-person singular, matching the informal tú understood throughout the sentence. Example: Tienes que salir. — “You have to leave.” desplazarte means “to travel / to get around” here. Its base form is desplazarse or, without the reflexive pronoun, desplazar; the observed form is the infinitive desplazar with the attached reflexive pronoun te. In this sentence, desplazarte is the infinitive governed by tienes que, and te refers to the person addressed. Example: Tengo que desplazarme temprano. — “I have to travel early.” sal is the affirmative command form of salir for tú singular. It means “leave” here, not “go out” in isolation; the following antes specifies leaving earlier. Example: Sal ahora. — “Leave now.” antes means “earlier” in this sentence. It compares the proposed departure time with the otherwise expected or relevant departure time; it does not itself specify how much earlier. Example: Sal antes mañana. — “Leave earlier tomorrow.” deja is the affirmative tú command of dejar. With la posibilidad, it means “keep/leave the possibility” available. The command form is distinct from present-tense deja meaning “he/she leaves” or “you leave” in a statement; context and sentence structure identify the command here. Example: Deja abierta la puerta. — “Leave the door open.” abierta is the feminine singular form of the adjective abierto, “open.” It agrees with posibilidad, which is feminine singular; the adjective is not derived from that noun. Example: La ventana está abierta. — “The window is open.” posibilidad means “possibility.” The phrase dejar abierta la posibilidad de + infinitive is a reusable pattern meaning to keep open the option of doing something. Example: Dejo abierta la posibilidad de volver. — “I keep open the possibility of returning.” cambiar is the infinitive “to change.” After la posibilidad de, the preposition de is followed by an infinitive to name the possible action: la posibilidad de cambiar — “the possibility of changing.” Example: Es posible cambiar el plan. — “It is possible to change the plan.” ruta means “route.” In cambiar de ruta, the pattern cambiar de + noun means “change from one route to another” or, naturally, “change route.” Example: Podemos cambiar de ruta. — “We can change route.” Together, Si tienes que desplazarte means “If you have to travel.” Si introduces the condition; it does not assert that travel is definitely necessary. The two commands are coordinated: sal antes means “leave earlier,” and deja abierta la posibilidad de cambiar de ruta means “keep open the possibility of changing route.” The complete utterance is therefore: “If you have to travel, leave earlier and keep your route flexible.”

3. Necesito ir a la oficina.

   I need to go to the office.

   Necesito

   I need

   ir

   to go

   oficina

   office

   More detail

   Necesito is the first-person singular present form of necesitar, “to need”: necesitar → necesito. It states the speaker’s need. A useful pattern is necesito + infinitive: Necesito descansar. — “I need to rest.” ir is the infinitive “to go.” After necesito, the second verb stays in the infinitive because the same speaker is the one who needs and goes. For example, Necesito estudiar. means “I need to study.” oficina is a feminine noun meaning “office.” The phrase a la oficina uses a for movement toward a destination and la with this feminine singular noun. The noun itself is oficina; la is its accompanying definite article. Together, Necesito ir means “I need to go,” and a la oficina identifies the destination. The complete utterance is therefore “I need to go to the office.”

4. Pero puedo volver antes de que se intensifique.

   But I can come back before it gets stronger.

   Pero

   But

   puedo

   I can

   volver

   come back

   antes de que

   before

   se intensifique

   gets stronger

   More detail

   Pero marks a contrast with what came before. It means “but” and does not cancel the earlier statement; it introduces an option or qualification. puedo is the first-person singular present form of poder (“to be able to,” “can”). The ending identifies the speaker as yo, although the pronoun is omitted here: puedo already means “I can.” In this sentence, it expresses the speaker’s ability or possibility of returning, not a command. Example: Puedo esperar. — “I can wait.” volver is an infinitive meaning “to return” or “to come back.” After a conjugated form of poder, Spanish uses the infinitive: puedo volver = “I can come back.” The subject of both forms is understood to be the speaker. Example: Podemos volver mañana. — “We can come back tomorrow.” antes de que introduces an event that must happen later than the return: “before.” Because this clause presents that event as pending or not yet established, Spanish uses the subjunctive after antes de que. This is a time relation, not a replacement of one action by the other. Example: Sal antes de que anochezca. — “Leave before it gets dark.” se intensifique is the pronominal form of intensificar, meaning “become more intense” or “get stronger” here. intensifique is the third-person singular present subjunctive form, selected because it follows antes de que; se belongs to the pronominal verb intensificarse, rather than functioning here as a separate direct-object pronoun. The clause does not state the subject as a separate Spanish noun; the fixed translation represents it as “it.” Compare La lluvia se intensifica. — “The rain gets stronger.” Together, puedo volver says “I can come back,” and antes de que se intensifique sets the deadline “before it gets stronger.” Pero connects this possibility contrastively with the surrounding situation, producing: “But I can come back before it gets stronger.”

5. Ponte zapatos impermeables y evita las calles que suelen inundarse.

   Wear waterproof shoes and avoid any streets that usually flood.

   Ponte

   put on

   zapatos

   shoes

   impermeables

   waterproof

   evita

   avoid

   calles

   streets

   suelen

   usually

   inundarse

   flood

   More detail

   Ponte is the affirmative tú command of ponerse, meaning “put on” here. The form combines pon (the command of poner) with the reflexive pronoun te: pon + te → ponte. The pronoun shows that the wearer is the person being addressed. Example: Ponte el abrigo. — “Put on your coat.” zapatos is the plural noun “shoes.” Its singular is zapato; the plural adds -s. In zapatos impermeables, it is the thing to be worn. Example: Necesito zapatos cómodos. — “I need comfortable shoes.” impermeables describes the shoes as “waterproof.” Its base form is impermeable; the plural form is impermeables. This adjective has the same form for masculine and feminine singular, and adds -s in the plural. Example: una chaqueta impermeable — “a waterproof jacket.” evita is the affirmative tú command of evitar, “to avoid.” In this sentence it addresses the same listener as ponte; it is not the third-person form being used as a command. Example: Evita esa zona. — “Avoid that area.” calles is the plural noun “streets.” Its singular is calle; the plural adds -s. The article las agrees with the noun in feminine plural and makes the noun phrase definite; the noun identifies what should be avoided. suelen is the third-person plural present form of soler, used with an infinitive to express a usual or recurring tendency: suelen + infinitive = “usually tend to ...” Here, the plural subject is the streets referred to by calles. Example: Las carreteras suelen cerrarse en invierno. — “The roads usually close in winter.” inundarse is the infinitive form of the pronominal verb inundarse, meaning “to become flooded” or “to flood” in this context. The ending -se belongs to the verb form used here; it presents the streets as undergoing flooding rather than naming a person who floods them. With suelen, the infinitive remains unchanged: suelen inundarse — “usually flood.” Example: El túnel puede inundarse. — “The tunnel can become flooded.” Together, Ponte zapatos impermeables gives the instruction “Wear waterproof shoes.” The conjunction y links it to evita las calles que suelen inundarse, “avoid the streets that usually flood.” The relative clause que suelen inundarse identifies which streets the instruction concerns, so the complete utterance is: “Wear waterproof shoes and avoid any streets that usually flood.”

6. El paso subterráneo cerca de la estación suele inundarse cuando llueve mucho.

   The underpass near the station often floods in heavy rain.

   paso

   passage or way

   subterráneo

   underground

   cerca de

   near

   estación

   station

   suele

   usually does

   inundarse

   to become flooded

   llueve

   it rains

   mucho

   a lot

   More detail

   paso means “passage” or “way” here. The specific meaning “underpass” comes from the combination paso subterráneo, not from paso alone. It is a masculine singular noun: el paso. For example, un paso estrecho means “a narrow passage.” subterráneo describes paso and means “underground.” It is a masculine singular adjective matching paso; the feminine singular form is subterránea, as in una estación subterránea (“an underground station”). Together, paso subterráneo means “underpass.” cerca de is a reusable preposition meaning “near” or “close to.” It is followed by the place used as the reference point: cerca de la estación means “near the station.” estación is a feminine singular noun meaning “station” here, so it appears with la: la estación. The same word can refer to a season in another context, but that is not its meaning in this utterance. suele is the third-person singular present form of soler. Soler is normally followed by an infinitive and expresses what someone or something usually does: El tren suele llegar tarde means “The train usually arrives late.” Here, suele agrees with the singular subject El paso subterráneo. inundarse means “to become flooded” here. It is the infinitive form of the pronominal verb inundarse; the attached se belongs to that verb form. After suele, the infinitive stays unchanged: suele inundarse means “usually floods.” Compare La calle suele inundarse (“The street usually floods”) with Las calles suelen inundarse (“The streets usually flood”): the subject determines suele versus suelen, while inundarse remains an infinitive. llueve is the third-person singular present form of llover, used impersonally for weather: “it rains.” It does not identify a human actor. Cuando llueve means “when it rains,” introducing the condition under which the underpass commonly floods. mucho means “a lot” here and modifies the intensity of the rain expressed by llueve: cuando llueve mucho means “when it rains heavily” or literally “when it rains a lot.” In this use it functions adverbially, so it does not agree with a noun. The full structure is El paso subterráneo (“the underpass”) + cerca de la estación (“near the station”) + suele inundarse (“usually floods”) + cuando llueve mucho (“when it rains heavily”). Together, the utterance says: “The underpass near the station often floods in heavy rain.” Suele presents this as a usual or recurring situation, not as a claim that it is flooding at this exact moment.

7. Ve por la carretera principal, aunque te lleve un poco más de tiempo.

   Take the main road instead, even if it adds a little time.

   Ve

   Take / go

   carretera

   road

   principal

   main

   aunque te lleve

   even if it takes you

   un poco

   a little

   más

   more

   tiempo

   time

   More detail

   Ve is the affirmative tú command of ir (“to go”). Here it introduces the route the listener should take: Ve por... means “Go via...” or “Take...”. The command forms ve (tú), vaya (usted), and vayan (ustedes) are different. Example: Ve por aquí. — “Go this way.” carretera means “road” or “highway” and is a feminine singular noun. Its plural is carreteras. In this sentence, por la carretera marks the route: “via/on the road.” Example: La carretera está abierta. — “The road is open.” principal means “main” or “principal.” It describes carretera; principal has the same singular form for masculine and feminine nouns, so its gender is not visible in the word itself. Its plural is principales: camino principal means “main path,” and carreteras principales means “main roads.” aunque te lleve expresses “even if it takes you.” aunque introduces a concession, and lleve is the present subjunctive of llevar; in this construction, the subjunctive presents the extra time as a possible condition rather than a definite fact. The te is the person affected by the time required, not a command marker. Lleve is third-person singular; in this impersonal time expression, it does not agree with tiempo as though tiempo were its subject. Example: Aunque me lleve tiempo, lo haré. — “Even if it takes me time, I will do it.” un poco means “a little” and limits the amount. It does not by itself assert a precise quantity. Example: Espera un poco. — “Wait a little.” más means “more.” Here it compares the time required for this route with the time required by the alternative under discussion. It modifies the amount of tiempo, rather than being an adjective that agrees with that noun. The opposite comparison is menos (“less”). Example: Este camino tarda más. — “This route takes longer.” tiempo means “time.” In llevar tiempo, Spanish uses tiempo as what is required, while te identifies the person for whom it is required: La ruta me lleva tiempo means “The route takes me time.” In the fixed sentence, un poco más de tiempo means “a little more time.” Together, Ve por la carretera principal gives the instruction “Take the main road.” aunque te lleve un poco más de tiempo adds the concession “even if it takes you a little more time.” The complete meaning is therefore: “Take the main road instead, even if it adds a little time.”

8. ¿Me ayudaría una funda impermeable a proteger mi portátil?

   Would a waterproof sleeve help protect my laptop?

   ayudaría

   would help

   funda

   sleeve

   impermeable

   waterproof

   proteger

   to protect

   portátil

   laptop

   More detail

   ayudaría comes from ayudar (“to help”). It is the conditional form ayudaría, meaning “would help” here. The singular subject is una funda, so the verb is singular; the form is also used with yo and with singular third-person or usted subjects, so the context and subject establish its role here. ¿Me ayudaría X a + infinitive? is a reusable way to ask whether X would help me do something. Me is the first-person singular object pronoun: it presents the speaker as the person being helped. funda is a feminine singular noun meaning “sleeve” here. Its base form is funda; the plural is fundas. The indefinite article una matches its feminine singular form. It identifies a singular noun grammatically, but by itself does not assert a numerical count as a separate fact. impermeable describes funda as waterproof. In the singular, this adjective has the same form with masculine and feminine nouns; its plural form is impermeables. For example, una mochila impermeable means “a waterproof backpack.” proteger is the infinitive “to protect.” After ayudar a, Spanish commonly uses an infinitive: ayudar a proteger means “help to protect” or simply “help protect.” The infinitive does not show a separate tense or person here; the conditional marking is on ayudaría. portátil is a noun meaning “laptop” in this sentence. It can also be an adjective meaning “portable,” but that is not its role here. Mi means “my” and is singular, matching the singular noun phrase mi portátil; Spanish possessive mi does not change for masculine versus feminine nouns. The plural possessive is mis, as in mis portátiles (“my laptops”). Together, ¿Me ayudaría una funda impermeable a proteger mi portátil? asks whether a waterproof sleeve would help the speaker protect their laptop. The structure is: “Would [a waterproof sleeve] help me [to protect my laptop]?”

9. Usa una, porque los retrasos son frustrantes, pero es peor tener el equipo dañado.

   Use one, because delays are frustrating, but damaged equipment is worse.

   Usa

   use

   una

   one

   porque

   because

   retrasos

   delays

   frustrantes

   frustrating

   pero

   but

   peor

   worse

   tener

   to have

   equipo

   equipment

   dañado

   damaged

   More detail

   Usa is the affirmative command form of usar for tú singular: “use.” It addresses one person informally. Example: Usa esta llave. — “Use this key.” una is the feminine singular indefinite pronoun meaning “one” here. It refers back to the feminine item understood from the previous context, una funda. Compare uno for a masculine singular item and unas for feminine plural items. porque introduces the reason for the command: “because.” Example: Lo llevo porque es útil. — “I take it because it is useful.” retrasos is the plural of the noun retraso, “delay.” The plural ending -s shows that more than one delay is meant. Example: Los retrasos son largos. — “The delays are long.” frustrantes is the plural form of the adjective frustrante, “frustrating.” It agrees in number with retrasos; because it ends in -e, its masculine and feminine singular forms are the same, while the plural adds -s. Example: Las esperas son frustrantes. — “The waits are frustrating.” pero marks a contrast: “but.” It sets the second idea against the first rather than replacing or excluding it. peor is the comparative form meaning “worse.” It is the compact comparative related to malo (“bad”). Example: Esto es peor. — “This is worse.” tener is the infinitive of tener, “to have.” In tener el equipo dañado, it introduces a possession or situation in which the equipment is in a damaged state. Example: Es difícil tener la puerta abierta. — “It is difficult to have the door open.” equipo is a masculine singular noun meaning “equipment” here, as confirmed by the fixed translation. In other contexts, equipo can also mean “team”; the surrounding meaning selects “equipment.” The article el agrees with this masculine singular noun. dañado is the masculine singular participle/adjective from the verb dañar, “to damage.” Here it describes the resulting damaged state of equipo, so it agrees with that noun in gender and number. Example: El teléfono está dañado. — “The phone is damaged.” Together, Usa una gives the informal singular command “Use one.” porque los retrasos son frustrantes gives the reason, “because delays are frustrating.” pero es peor tener el equipo dañado contrasts that with the worse result, “but having damaged equipment is worse.” The complete meaning is: “Use one, because delays are frustrating, but damaged equipment is worse.”

10. Antes de salir, me aseguraré de que la batería de mi teléfono esté completamente cargada.

    Before I leave, I will make sure my phone battery is full.

    Antes de

    before

    salir

    leave

    me aseguraré

    I will make sure

    de que

    that

    batería

    battery

    teléfono

    phone

    esté

    be

    completamente

    completely

    cargada

    full; charged

    More detail

    Antes de introduces an action that happens earlier than another action. With an infinitive, the understood subject is normally the same as the subject of the main clause here: Antes de salir means “before I leave.” Compare después de + infinitive for “after doing something.” salir is the infinitive “to leave” or “to go out.” Its present-tense first-person form is salgo, but the infinitive is used after antes de: Antes de salir, reviso el mapa means “Before leaving, I check the map.” me aseguraré comes from asegurarse de, “to make sure.” aseguraré is the first-person singular future of asegurar, and me is the reflexive pronoun belonging to asegurarse; together they mean “I will make sure.” The future ending -é identifies “I” in this form. Example: Me aseguraré de cerrar la puerta — “I will make sure to close the door.” de que connects asegurarse to the fact being checked: asegurarse de que + clause, “to make sure that …”. The clause after it uses esté, which is the third-person singular present subjunctive of estar. Here the battery’s state is something the speaker intends to verify or ensure, rather than an independently asserted fact. The form agrees with singular la batería, not with mi teléfono. batería means “battery.” It is a feminine singular noun, as shown by la and by the feminine singular form cargada. Example: La batería está baja — “The battery is low.” teléfono means “phone.” In mi teléfono, mi is a possessive determiner meaning “my”; it identifies the phone as belonging to the speaker. The phrase la batería de mi teléfono means “the battery of my phone,” or more naturally in English, “my phone battery.” esté is the subjunctive form of estar for “he, she, it, or you (formal)” in the present tense. In this sentence it is third-person singular because its subject is la batería: que la batería esté ... — “that the battery be ...”. The base verb is estar, used for a condition or state. completamente is an adverb meaning “completely.” It modifies cargada, specifying the degree of the battery’s charge. Its form does not change for gender or number. Example: La puerta está completamente abierta — “The door is completely open.” cargada is the feminine singular form of cargado, from cargar, “to charge” or “to load.” Here it describes la batería as charged, and its feminine singular ending -ada agrees with that noun. In this context, “completely charged” naturally conveys the fixed translation’s “full.” Compare masculine singular El teléfono está cargado — “The phone is charged.” Together, Antes de salir sets the earlier time, and me aseguraré de que expresses the speaker’s future intention to check or ensure a condition. la batería de mi teléfono esté completamente cargada identifies that condition: the speaker will make sure their phone battery is fully charged before leaving.

11. Entonces podrás consultar las actualizaciones si cambia la ruta.

    Then you can check updates if the route changes.

    Entonces

    then

    podrás

    you will be able to

    consultar

    check; consult

    actualizaciones

    updates

    si

    if

    cambia

    changes

    ruta

    route

    More detail

    Entonces means “then” here and links this sentence to the preceding situation: after the speaker makes sure the phone battery is full, the stated result is that checking updates will be possible. It can also introduce a conclusion, but this use marks a time or consequence. podrás is the second-person singular future of poder (“to be able to”): poder → podrás (“you will be able to”). The ending identifies tú, not usted or a plural “you.” In this sentence, the future form expresses ability that will be available later. For example: Mañana podrás descansar. — “Tomorrow you will be able to rest.” consultar is an infinitive meaning “to check” or “to consult.” After podrás, it names the action that will be possible: podrás consultar = “you will be able to check.” The same verb can be used with information sources, as in Consultaré el horario. — “I will check the schedule.” actualizaciones is the plural of the feminine noun actualización, “update.” The plural refers to updates in general here; las marks them as definite in the sentence. The related singular form is la actualización (“the update”), while las actualizaciones means “the updates.” si introduces a condition and means “if.” The pattern si + a condition describes what happens when that condition is met. Here it does not mean “whether”; it presents the route changing as the condition for checking the updates. cambia is the third-person singular present form of cambiar, “to change”: cambiar → cambia. Its subject is la ruta, so the verb is singular. Spanish commonly uses the present after si for a possible future condition, while the main clause can use the future: Si cambia el horario, te avisaré. — “If the schedule changes, I will let you know.” ruta is the feminine noun “route.” With the article, la ruta means “the route.” In this sentence, it is the subject of cambia, so the meaning is that the route changes, not that someone changes it. Together, Entonces podrás consultar las actualizaciones means “Then you will be able to check the updates.” The condition si cambia la ruta adds “if the route changes,” giving the complete meaning: “Then you can check updates if the route changes.”