Si decides posponer tus metas personales, dejarás de crecer como individuo.

If you decide to postpone your personal goals, you will stop growing as an individual.

Breakdown of Si decides posponer tus metas personales, dejarás de crecer como individuo.

• si: if
• tu: your
• como: as
• la meta: the goal
• posponer: to postpone
• decidir: to decide
• personal: personal
• dejar de crecer: to stop growing
• el individuo: the individual

Questions & Answers about Si decides posponer tus metas personales, dejarás de crecer como individuo.

What is the overall structure of this sentence?

The sentence is built as a conditional statement. It starts with an "if‑clause" (the protasis) introduced by Si followed by the main clause (the apodosis) in the future tense. This structure shows that if a certain action is taken (decides to postpone your personal goals), a specific consequence will follow (you will stop growing as an individual).

Why is the present indicative used in the "if‑clause" instead of the subjunctive?

In Spanish, when the condition is realistic or likely to occur, the present indicative is used in the "if‑clause." Here, Si decides is appropriate because it refers to a very possible and real decision. The subjunctive would be used for hypothetical or unlikely situations.

What does the verb posponer mean and how is it used in this sentence?

The verb posponer means "to postpone" or "to delay." In this sentence, it appears in its basic, infinitive form after the conjugated verb decides (i.e., decides posponer). This is a common construction in Spanish where one verb (usually in the infinitive) follows another conjugated verb.

How does the phrase dejarás de crecer work grammatically?

The phrase dejarás de crecer uses the construction dejar de followed by an infinitive. This structure expresses the idea of "stopping" or "ceasing" to do something. In this case, dejarás (future tense of "dejar") coupled with crecer (to grow) indicates that the result of postponing your goals is that you will cease growing as an individual.

Why is the expression como individuo used at the end of the sentence?

The expression como individuo specifies the type of growth being discussed—it refers to personal or intrinsic development rather than professional or academic progress. It emphasizes that you will stop evolving on a personal level if you postpone your personal goals.

Could I replace como individuo with como persona, and would that change the meaning?

Yes, you could replace como individuo with como persona. Both expressions are used to refer to personal development, though como individuo can imply a more introspective, self-focused growth, while como persona is slightly more general, referring broadly to one's character and life skills. The overall meaning of the sentence would remain essentially the same.