Breakdown of Por favor, no la dejes sobre la mesa; el dueño del negocio necesita mantener todo limpio.
la mesa
the table
de
of
mantener
to keep
necesitar
to need
limpio
clean
por favor
please
no
not
el dueño
the owner
dejar
to leave
,
comma
todo
everything
la
it
;
semicolon
el negocio
the business
sobre
on
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Questions & Answers about Por favor, no la dejes sobre la mesa; el dueño del negocio necesita mantener todo limpio.
What does the la in “no la dejes” refer to?
la is a direct object pronoun replacing a specific feminine noun that has been mentioned before or is understood from context. In this sentence, it stands for something (likely a feminine object) that should not be left on the table.
How is the negative command no la dejes formed, and why is the verb in the form dejes?
In Spanish, to form a negative command for the tú form, you conjugate the verb in the present subjunctive. For the verb dejar, that form is dejes. Unlike affirmative commands (which attach pronouns to the end), negative commands always place the pronoun before the verb.
Why is the verb mantener in the infinitive form after necesita?
When a conjugated verb like necesitar (meaning “needs”) is followed by another verb, the second verb remains in the infinitive form. Here, mantener expresses the action that the business owner needs to perform, so it stays in its non-conjugated (infinitive) form.
What is the role of the semicolon in the sentence?
The semicolon separates two independent yet closely related clauses. In this sentence, it links the command no la dejes sobre la mesa with the explanation el dueño del negocio necesita mantener todo limpio, highlighting that both ideas are connected while remaining complete thoughts.
Why is the preposition sobre used in sobre la mesa instead of en?
Although both sobre and en can indicate location, sobre specifically emphasizes that something is on the top of a surface. In this context, sobre la mesa clearly instructs that the object must not be left on the table, indicating its position on top rather than merely being in contact with it.
Why does todo remain unchanged in mantener todo limpio instead of matching a gender?
Todo is used here as an indefinite pronoun meaning “everything” or “all,” and it remains neutral. Unlike adjectives that must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe, todo in this context covers all items generally and does not shift to a feminine form.
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