Checking the Apartment Before a Long Trip | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. Estaremos fuera varios días, así que revisemos bien el apartamento.

   We'll be away for several days, so let's double-check the apartment.

   Estaremos

   we will be

   fuera

   away

   varios

   several

   días

   days

   así que

   so; therefore

   revisemos

   let’s check

   bien

   well; thoroughly

   apartamento

   apartment

   More detail

   Estaremos is the first-person plural future form of estar (“to be”): estaremos = “we will be.” It identifies “we” and places the state in the future. Compare present estamos (“we are”) and past estuvimos (“we were”). Fuera means “away” here, describing where the speakers will be. In another context, fuera can mean “outside,” but that is not the meaning in this sentence. Together with estar, estar fuera means “to be away.” Varios means “several” and modifies días. It is masculine plural, matching the plural masculine noun. Unlike an exact numeral, it indicates an unspecified quantity greater than one. Días is the plural of día, “day.” The plural ending -s indicates more than one day, and the accent remains on í: día → días. Así que is a connector meaning “so” or “therefore.” It introduces the action that follows from the preceding situation. Revisemos comes from revisar, “to check” or “to review.” Here, the first-person plural present subjunctive is used as a hortative form: “let’s check.” It includes the speaker and the addressee(s). Compare revisamos (“we check” or “we checked,” depending on context) with revisemos in this kind of proposal. Bien is an adverb meaning “well.” With revisemos, revisemos bien means “let’s check carefully” or “let’s check thoroughly,” describing how the checking should be done. Apartamento is a masculine singular noun meaning “apartment.” In the sentence, it appears with the masculine singular definite article in el apartamento. It is the direct object of revisemos. Together, Estaremos fuera varios días means “We’ll be away for several days.” Así que links that situation to the proposed action, and revisemos bien el apartamento means “so let’s thoroughly check the apartment.” The complete utterance is: “We’ll be away for several days, so let’s double-check the apartment.”

2. Desenchufé los pequeños electrodomésticos y apagué la estufa.

   I unplugged the small appliances and turned off the stove.

   Desenchufé

   I unplugged

   pequeños

   small

   electrodomésticos

   appliances

   apagué

   I turned off

   estufa

   stove

   More detail

   Desenchufé means “I unplugged” here. It is the first-person singular preterite of desenchufar, used for a completed past action. The ending -é often marks an yo preterite form in regular -ar verbs: desenchufar → desenchufé. Example: Desenchufé el cargador. — “I unplugged the charger.” pequeños describes electrodomésticos. It is the masculine plural form of pequeño because the noun is masculine and plural. The singular forms are pequeño and pequeña; the plural forms are pequeños and pequeñas. Example: Compré unas cajas pequeñas. — “I bought some small boxes.” electrodomésticos means “appliances” in this sentence. It is the masculine plural noun electrodoméstico; the plural ending is -s. Together, los pequeños electrodomésticos means “the small appliances.” The article and adjective agree with this plural noun. apagué means “I turned off” here. It is the first-person singular preterite of apagar, another completed past action. Before the é ending, the spelling changes from g to gu so the sound remains the same: apagar → apagué. Example: Apagué la luz. — “I turned off the light.” estufa means “stove.” It is a feminine noun; in the sentence, la estufa means “the stove.” The noun can refer to a stove or, depending on context, a heater, but “stove” is the intended meaning here. The conjunction y joins the two completed actions. The subject yo is not written separately because both desenchufé and apagué already show first-person singular. The first action is directed at los pequeños electrodomésticos, and the second is directed at la estufa. Thus the whole utterance means: “I unplugged the small appliances and turned off the stove.”

3. ¿La puerta del balcón y las ventanas del dormitorio están bien cerradas?

   Are the balcony door and bedroom windows secure?

   puerta

   door

   balcón

   balcony

   ventanas

   windows

   dormitorio

   bedroom

   están bien cerradas

   are securely closed

   More detail

   puerta means “door.” Its plural is puertas; the noun is feminine, so the article and adjectives that agree with it are feminine: la puerta, una puerta, puertas cerradas. Example: La puerta está abierta. — “The door is open.” balcón means “balcony.” It is a masculine noun: el balcón, plural balcones. In la puerta del balcón, del is the contraction of de + el, meaning “of the balcony” or “balcony’s.” This identifies which door is meant; it does not mean that the balcony itself is the door. ventanas means “windows.” The singular is ventana, and the plural ending -s shows more than one window. Las ventanas is feminine plural, so a modifying adjective would also be feminine plural: ventanas abiertas (“open windows”). Example: Las ventanas están limpias. — “The windows are clean.” dormitorio means “bedroom.” It is a masculine noun: el dormitorio, plural los dormitorios. In las ventanas del dormitorio, del dormitorio means “of the bedroom” or “bedroom’s,” specifying which windows are intended. The noun dormitorio remains singular because the phrase refers to one bedroom, while ventanas is plural because it refers to multiple windows. están bien cerradas means “are securely closed.” Están is the third-person plural present form of estar, used here because the subject contains la puerta and las ventanas together. Cerradas is the feminine plural form of cerrado, the past participle/adjectival form of cerrar; it agrees with the coordinated feminine subject. Bien modifies cerradas and strengthens the meaning to “properly” or “securely,” rather than simply “closed.” Example: Las puertas están bien cerradas. — “The doors are securely closed.” The sentence is a yes/no question. La puerta del balcón and las ventanas del dormitorio are joined by y, so together they form the plural subject. ¿... están ...? asks whether both the balcony door and the bedroom windows are securely closed. The complete meaning is: “Are the balcony door and bedroom windows secure?”

4. La puerta del balcón está cerrada con llave y ahora revisaré las ventanas del dormitorio.

   The balcony door is locked, and I will check the bedroom windows now.

   puerta

   door

   balcón

   balcony

   está cerrada con llave

   is locked

   ahora

   now

   revisaré

   I will check

   ventanas

   windows

   dormitorio

   bedroom

   More detail

   puerta means “door” here. It is a feminine noun: la puerta, plural las puertas. In la puerta del balcón, del is the contraction of de + el, expressing the relation “of the balcony.” balcón means “balcony.” It is a masculine noun: el balcón, plural los balcones. The written accent remains in the singular; the plural form is balcones. está cerrada con llave describes the door’s current state as being locked. está is the third-person singular present form of estar; cerrada is the feminine singular form of cerrado and agrees with puerta. The expression cerrar con llave means to lock something literally “with a key”; con llave is not a numeric statement about the key. ahora means “now” and places the checking in the present time. It can be moved for emphasis, for example: Ahora revisaré las ventanas. — “Now I will check the windows.” revisaré means “I will check.” Its base form is revisar; the ending -é marks the first-person singular simple future, so the subject is “I.” A useful contrast is reviso — “I check / I am checking” — versus revisaré — “I will check.” Example: Revisaré la puerta mañana. — “I will check the door tomorrow.” ventanas means “windows.” It is the plural of the feminine noun ventana: la ventana, las ventanas. The phrase las ventanas del dormitorio means “the bedroom windows”; again, del contracts de + el and links the windows to the bedroom. dormitorio means “bedroom.” It is a masculine noun: el dormitorio, plural los dormitorios. In this utterance it appears after del, so del dormitorio means “of the bedroom.” Together, La puerta del balcón está cerrada con llave says that the balcony door is locked. Y links that statement to the next action. Ahora revisaré las ventanas del dormitorio says that the speaker will check the bedroom windows now. The complete meaning is: “The balcony door is locked, and I will check the bedroom windows now.”

5. ¿Deberíamos bajar el termostato mientras estemos fuera?

   Should we lower the thermostat while we are gone?

   Deberíamos

   we should

   bajar

   lower

   termostato

   thermostat

   mientras estemos fuera

   while we are away

   More detail

   Deberíamos is the first-person plural conditional of deber, meaning “we should.” In this question, the surrounding question marks turn the proposal into “Should we…?” The ending -íamos marks the “we” form here. Compare debemos (“we must/should,” present) with deberíamos (“we should,” more tentative or proposal-like). Example: Deberíamos salir temprano. — “We should leave early.” bajar is the infinitive meaning “to lower” here. After deberíamos, Spanish uses the infinitive: deberíamos bajar = “we should lower.” Bajar can also mean “to go down” in other contexts; the thermostat and the fixed translation establish the “lower” meaning here. Example: Hay que bajar la música. — “The music needs to be turned down.” termostato is a masculine singular noun meaning “thermostat.” The article in el termostato reflects that grammatical gender and number. Its plural is termostatos, used with los: los termostatos. Example: El termostato está en la pared. — “The thermostat is on the wall.” mientras estemos fuera means “while we are away.” Mientras introduces the time clause, and estemos is the first-person plural present subjunctive of estar, matching the understood subject “we.” The subjunctive presents this time period as part of a proposed or pending situation. Fuera is an adverb meaning “away” or “out”; it does not change for number or gender. Example: Lo dejaremos encendido mientras estemos fuera. — “We will leave it on while we are away.” Together, Deberíamos bajar el termostato proposes lowering the thermostat and asks whether that is advisable for “us.” Mientras estemos fuera places the proposed situation during the time we are away. The complete meaning is: “Should we lower the thermostat while we are gone?”

6. Bájalo, pero no tanto como para que el apartamento se enfríe demasiado.

   Set it lower, but not so low that the apartment gets too cold.

   Bájalo

   lower it

   no tanto como para que

   not so ... that

   apartamento

   apartment

   se enfríe

   gets cold

   demasiado

   too much

   More detail

   Bájalo uses the base verb bajar (“to lower”) as an affirmative command to one tú listener. The direct-object clitic lo is attached to the command and means “it”; in the bounded context, it refers to the thermostat. The written accent marks the stressed syllable after the clitic is added. Compare bájala for a singular feminine object and bájalos for masculine plural objects. no tanto como para que introduces a limit: “not so much/low that …”. Here, como para que presents the result that must be avoided, and the verb after para que is in the subjunctive because it expresses a possible consequence rather than an established fact. This construction is reusable: No hables tan alto como para que el bebé se despierte means “Don’t speak so loudly that the baby wakes up.” apartamento is the masculine singular noun “apartment.” Its plural is apartamentos; the article or adjective accompanying it normally shows the same number and gender, as in el apartamento and los apartamentos. se enfríe comes from enfriarse, “to get cold” or “to cool down.” Enfríe is the third-person singular present subjunctive form, agreeing with el apartamento as the subject of the possible result. The se belongs to the verb’s pronominal form; it is not the object pronoun for the thermostat. In a simple statement, El apartamento se enfría means “The apartment gets cool/cold.” demasiado means “too much” or “too excessively.” Here it modifies se enfríe, so it means “too cold,” not an excessive quantity of apartments or a separate object. The sentence therefore combines the command Bájalo with the limit pero no tanto como para que el apartamento se enfríe demasiado: “Set it lower, but not so low that the apartment gets too cold.”

7. También le pedí a nuestro vecino que recogiera los paquetes que llegaran.

   I also asked our neighbor to collect any packages.

   También

   also

   pedí

   asked; requested

   vecino

   neighbor

   recogiera

   collect; pick up

   paquetes

   packages

   llegaran

   arrive

   More detail

   También means “also” and adds this action to something already mentioned. It presents the request as an additional action, not as a replacement for the earlier action. pedí is the first-person singular preterite of pedir (“to ask for” or “to ask someone to do something”). The reusable pattern pedirle a alguien que + subjunctive means “to ask someone to do something”: le marks the person asked, and a nuestro vecino identifies that person. Example: Le pedí que esperara. — “I asked him/her to wait.” vecino is a masculine singular noun meaning “neighbor.” Its feminine counterpart is vecina; the plural forms are vecinos and vecinas. Here, nuestro agrees with masculine singular vecino. recogiera is the imperfect subjunctive of recoger, “to collect” or “to pick up.” In this sentence it is third-person singular because the person asked is nuestro vecino; the form itself is also morphologically shared with first-person singular in this tense. After pedí que, the subjunctive presents the collecting as the requested action. Example: Le pedí que recogiera la carta. — “I asked him/her to pick up the letter.” paquetes is the plural of the masculine noun paquete, “package.” The plural ending -s indicates more than one package. Here, the packages are the direct object of recogiera. llegaran is an imperfect-subjunctive form of llegar, “to arrive,” and it is third-person plural here because it refers to paquetes. In the relative clause que llegaran, the subjunctive presents the packages as a non-specific set rather than as a specifically identified set; with the fixed translation, this yields “any packages.” Example: Recogió los documentos que llegaran. — “He/She collected any documents that arrived.” Together, le pedí a nuestro vecino que recogiera means “I asked our neighbor to collect,” and los paquetes que llegaran specifies the relevant objects: any packages that arrived. The complete utterance therefore means “I also asked our neighbor to collect any packages.”

8. Eso ayuda a que parezca que hay alguien en casa mientras estamos fuera.

   That helps the place look occupied while we are away.

   Eso

   That

   ayuda

   helps

   parezca

   seem

   hay alguien

   there is someone

   casa

   home

   estamos

   we are

   fuera

   away

   More detail

   Eso means “that” and is a demonstrative pronoun: it points to an already established situation or action. Its exact referent is not named by this sentence alone. Demonstratives contrast by distance or discourse position; for example, esto means “this” and eso means “that.” ayuda comes from ayudar, “to help.” Here it is third-person singular present: eso ayuda = “that helps.” The singular form agrees with eso, not with the people mentioned later. A reusable pattern is ayudar a + infinitive: Esto ayuda a aprender = “This helps one learn.” In this sentence, however, ayuda a que introduces a clause with its own verb. parezca comes from parecer, “to seem” or “to appear.” The form is present subjunctive, third-person singular, used after ayuda a que: ayuda a que parezca... = “helps it seem...” The subjunctive here presents the result as something brought about or aimed at, rather than simply asserting it as an independent fact. The base form is parecer; do not treat parezca as a form of parecerse, which means “to resemble” or “to feel/look alike” in a different construction. hay alguien is the useful existence pattern “there is someone.” Hay comes from haber and is impersonal here, so it does not change to agree with alguien: hay alguien and hay varias personas both use hay. Alguien means “someone” and refers to an unspecified person. Example: Hay alguien en la puerta. — “There is someone at the door.” casa means “home” or “house.” In en casa, the phrase means “at home”; the preposition en supplies the location relation. Casa is a feminine noun, as shown by forms such as la casa, but the phrase en casa normally omits the article when it means being at home. Example: Trabajo en casa. — “I work at home.” estamos comes from estar, “to be,” and is first-person plural present: “we are.” Estar is used for a temporary state or location, including location in estamos fuera. The subject is expressed by the verb form itself; estamos means “we are,” whereas están means “they are” or formal/plural “you are.” fuera means “outside” or, as here, “away.” In estamos fuera, it describes being away from the relevant place. The form does not itself identify where the people are or how far away they are. Example: Cuando estamos fuera, cerramos la puerta. — “When we are away, we close the door.” Together, Eso ayuda a que parezca gives “That helps it seem/look,” que hay alguien en casa gives “that there is someone at home,” and mientras estamos fuera gives “while we are away.” The complete meaning is: “That helps the place look occupied while we are away.”

9. Ahora me siento más tranquilo al irme.

   Now I feel more relaxed about leaving.

   Ahora

   now

   me siento

   I feel

   más tranquilo

   more relaxed

   al irme

   about leaving

   More detail

   Ahora means “now” and places the feeling in the present. It is a time adverb, so it does not change for person or number. Example: Ahora trabajo — “I work now.” me siento is the first-person singular present form of reflexive sentirse, “to feel.” me marks the speaker as the person experiencing the feeling; siento is the form used with yo. This is different from siento used with a direct object, as in Siento el ruido — “I hear/feel the noise.” más tranquilo means “more relaxed” here. más makes a comparison, and tranquilo is the adjective being compared; its base form is tranquilo, while más tranquilo means a greater degree of calm or relaxation. tranquilo is masculine singular in the observed form and agrees grammatically with the speaker as expressed in this utterance. The corresponding feminine form is tranquila, as in Me siento más tranquila — “I feel more relaxed.” al irme combines a + el as al with the infinitive phrase irme. irme consists of ir (“to go”) plus the attached reflexive pronoun me; with the speaker as subject, it means “to leave” or “to go away.” The pattern al + infinitive can express the situation or time connected with an action: Al salir, cierro la puerta — “When I leave, I close the door.” Together, Ahora me siento más tranquilo says that the speaker’s present feeling is more relaxed, and al irme identifies leaving as the situation connected with that feeling. The whole utterance therefore means “Now I feel more relaxed about leaving.”

10. Esta lista de comprobación llevó un poco de tiempo, pero valió la pena.

    This checklist took a little time, but it was worth it.

    Esta

    this

    lista de comprobación

    checklist

    llevó

    took

    un poco de tiempo

    a little time

    valió la pena

    was worth it

    More detail

    Esta means “this” here and is the feminine singular demonstrative agreeing with lista. Spanish demonstratives change for gender and number: este (masculine singular), esta (feminine singular), and estos/estas (plural). Example: Esta tarea es breve. — “This task is brief.” lista de comprobación is the noun phrase “checklist.” Lista is a feminine noun, and de comprobación specifies its purpose: it is a list used for checking. Example: La lista de comprobación está completa. — “The checklist is complete.” llevó is the third-person singular preterite of llevar, whose basic meaning is “to take” in the sense of requiring an amount of time here. The preterite presents that time requirement as completed. With a time expression, llevar can describe how long an activity required: La tarea llevó dos horas. — “The task took two hours.” un poco de tiempo means “a little time.” The pattern un poco de expresses a small amount of something, and tiempo is treated here as an uncountable amount rather than as a counted item. Example: Necesito un poco de tiempo. — “I need a little time.” valió la pena is a common expression meaning “was worth it.” Valió is the third-person singular preterite of valer (“to be worth” in this use), matching the singular subject understood from the sentence. The present form is vale la pena (“it is worth it”); the past form valió la pena says that the completed effort or experience proved worthwhile. In this expression, pena is part of the idiom, not a statement that the speaker felt sorrow. Example: Esperar valió la pena. — “Waiting was worth it.” Together, Esta lista de comprobación identifies the checklist, and llevó un poco de tiempo says that completing or dealing with it required a small amount of time. Pero introduces a contrast, while valió la pena says that the completed effort was worthwhile. The whole utterance means: “This checklist took a little time, but it was worth it.”