Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Si algo se rompe en la casa, mi hermana sabe cómo arreglar el problema. - If something breaks in the house, my sister knows how to fix the problem.

In Spanish, adding se often indicates that something happens by itself or without a clear agent. Romperse can mean "to break (by itself)." It emphasizes that the object experiences the action (it breaks) rather than someone actively breaking it.

Why does the sentence say arreglar el problema instead of reparar?

Both arreglar and reparar can mean "to fix." Arreglar is more general and can apply to a wider range of problems (tangible or intangible), while reparar often focuses more specifically on fixing physical or mechanical issues. In many contexts, they're interchangeable, but arreglar is a very common verb in everyday speech.

Why use sabe cómo instead of just sabe?

Saying sabe cómo adds the nuance of "knows how to" do something. Just using sabe might be less clear about the fact that she has the method or skill. In Spanish, "sabe cómo + infinitive" specifically communicates that someone has the knowledge or skill to perform an action.

What is the function of si in this sentence?

Si is a conditional word in Spanish that means "if." It introduces a condition that might happen: "If something breaks in the house, my sister knows how to fix the problem." This sets up a cause-and-effect scenario.

Why is the article el used before problema?

Problema is a masculine noun in Spanish (even though it ends in -a). Therefore, it takes the masculine article el instead of la. This is one of a few Spanish nouns that seem feminine but are grammatically masculine.

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