Este invierno ha sido muy frío, así que no salgo con frecuencia.

This winter has been very cold, so I don’t go out often.

Breakdown of Este invierno ha sido muy frío, así que no salgo con frecuencia.

• este: this
• yo: I
• con: with
• muy: very
• así que: so
• frío: cold
• no: not
• el invierno: the winter
• haber sido: to have been
• salir: to go out
• la frecuencia: the frequency

Questions & Answers about Este invierno ha sido muy frío, así que no salgo con frecuencia.

Why is ha sido used here instead of something like fue?

In Spanish, ha sido is the present perfect tense, which emphasizes that the condition (the cold winter) started in the past and continues to the present. Fue (the simple past tense) would suggest a more finished situation, one that doesn't necessarily extend into the present.

What does así que mean here, and could I replace it with porque?

Así que means "so" or "therefore," indicating a consequence. For example, "it's been very cold, so I don't go out often." Porque means "because," and using it would slightly shift the sentence structure and focus more on the reason rather than the result. In many contexts, they can convey a similar idea, but así que places more emphasis on the outcome.

Is there any difference between no salgo con frecuencia and no salgo frecuentemente?

They mean roughly the same thing ("I don't go out often"), but con frecuencia is commonly used in speech as a set phrase. Frecuentemente is also correct, but you might hear con frecuencia more often in casual conversation.

Why does the verb salir become salgo in this sentence?

Salgo is the first-person singular (yo form) of the verb salir in the present tense. In Spanish, regular -ir verbs typically change their ending to -o for the yo form, so "I go out" is (yo) salgo.

Why is it este invierno and not ese invierno?

Este points to something closer to the speaker in time or space—in this case, the current winter season. Ese typically refers to something more distant, either in time or space, from the speaker. Since we are talking about the winter that’s going on right now, este invierno is appropriate.