Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Para solucionar el conflicto, hablamos con calma y escuchamos a todos. - To solve the conflict, we speak calmly and listen to everyone.

In Spanish, para often indicates a goal or purpose, whereas por is generally used for causes or reasons. Here, para shows the intention or objective (to solve the conflict). Using por would imply a different nuance—something more like because of the conflict rather than in order to solve it.

Why is hablamos used in the present tense instead of another tense?

First-person plural (hablamos) in the present tense is used to describe a habitual or ongoing action: we speak (regularly or currently). If it were hablamos in the past tense (preterite), it would mean we spoke (in the past). Here, context indicates an ongoing or general statement about how we solve conflicts by speaking calmly.

Is con calma an adverbial phrase? Could we say calmamente instead?

Yes, con calma functions adverbially, meaning in a calm manner. Although calmamente (calmly) can be understood, con calma is very common in everyday Latin American Spanish and sounds more natural. It emphasizes the state or approach (calmness) rather than forming a straightforward adverb.

Why do we say escuchamos a todos rather than just escuchamos todos?

In Spanish, when you listen to someone, you use the preposition a because specific people (or living beings) are usually introduced with a (often called the “personal a”). So, we listen to everyone becomes escuchamos a todos.

Could a todos mean we are including everyone’s opinion without exception?

Exactly. A todos means to everyone, highlighting that every person’s viewpoint is heard. This phrase is very inclusive and implies everyone is given the same attention.

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