Si sucede un problema, puedo llamar al dueño del apartamento.

If a problem happens, I can call the owner of the apartment.

Breakdown of Si sucede un problema, puedo llamar al dueño del apartamento.

• yo: I
• de: of
• si: if
• a: to
• poder: to be able
• el problema: the problem
• un: a
• el: the
• suceder: to happen
• llamar: to call
• dueño: the owner
• apartamento: the apartment

Questions & Answers about Si sucede un problema, puedo llamar al dueño del apartamento.

Why is sucede used here instead of other verbs like pasa or ocurre?

All three verbs (sucede, pasa, and ocurre) can mean happen or occur. Sucede is just a slightly more formal equivalent commonly used in Latin America, while pasa is the most casual option, and ocurre is somewhere in between. Any of them would be understood, but sucede fits well for describing an unexpected event.

Why do we say Si sucede un problema instead of Si un problema sucede?

In Spanish, it's more natural to use the phrase in the order Si sucede un problema because it places emphasis on the possibility of the problem occurring. Saying Si un problema sucede is not incorrect, but it might sound a bit more formal or slightly awkward in everyday conversation.

Why is it un problema and not una problema?

Although problema ends with an -a, it is a masculine noun in Spanish, so it always takes masculine articles and adjectives (el problema, un problema, este problema, etc.). It’s an example of a noun that doesn’t follow the usual pattern of -o being masculine and -a being feminine.

Why do we say al dueño instead of a el dueño?

In Spanish, the preposition a combines with the masculine article el to form al. So, instead of saying a el dueño, we merge them into al dueño. This applies whenever a is directly followed by el.

Why do we say del apartamento instead of de el apartamento?

Similar to the combination of a + el, the preposition de combines with el to form del. Hence, instead of saying de el apartamento, it’s always del apartamento in correct Spanish.