Debes fijarte en los detalles cuando leas un texto en español.

You must pay attention to the details when you read a text in Spanish.

Breakdown of Debes fijarte en los detalles cuando leas un texto en español.

• en: in
• tú: you
• español: Spanish
• leer: to read
• cuando: when
• un: a
• deber: must
• el detalle: the detail
• fijarse: to pay attention
• el texto: the text

Questions & Answers about Debes fijarte en los detalles cuando leas un texto en español.

Why do we use Debes instead of Tienes que?

Both Debes and Tienes que convey obligation, but Debes is slightly softer and can imply a recommendation or strong advice rather than a strict requirement. Tienes que sounds more forceful, like "You have to," whereas Debes sounds a bit more like "You should."

Why is fijarte used rather than fijarse?

Fijarte is the reflexive form of the verb fijar directed at "you" (tú form). In Spanish, when you say fijarse en algo ("to pay attention to" or "to notice something"), you are literally telling someone to pay attention to or notice something themselves. Since it’s addressed to "you," the reflexive pronoun te is attached, forming fijarte.

What role does en have in the phrase fijarte en los detalles?

After fijarse, the preposition en is almost always used to indicate what it is you need to notice or pay attention to. So fijarse en something is "to look at," "focus on," or "pay attention to" that thing. It’s a fixed combination in Spanish grammar.

Why do we use the subjunctive form leas instead of lees?

When referring to a general or hypothetical situation in Spanish, especially with a temporal clause like cuando ("when"), the subjunctive often appears to express that it’s not a specific event but rather any instance of reading in the future or as a general statement. Cuando leas conveys an idea of "whenever you read," whereas cuando lees would sound more habitual or indicative about something that happens regularly without the nuance of giving advice.

Is en español always the correct way to say "in Spanish"?

Yes, in most contexts you’d say en español to mean "in Spanish." It’s the standard way to specify the language. You generally don’t say en el español for this purpose. By itself, en español clearly indicates "in the Spanish language."