Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): El clima está tan húmedo hoy que la ropa tarda en secarse al aire libre. - The weather is so humid today that clothes take a long time to dry outdoors.

The structure tan … que is used to express cause and effect by indicating a degree of intensity followed by a result. In this example, tan means so and que means that. Thus, “El clima está tan húmedo hoy” translates as “The weather is so humid today,” and the following clause “que la ropa tarda en secarse al aire libre” explains that the high humidity causes the clothes to take a long time to dry outdoors.

Why is estar used with el clima instead of ser in this sentence?

In Spanish, estar is used to describe temporary conditions or states, whereas ser is used for more permanent characteristics. Since weather conditions like humidity can change from day to day, el clima está tan húmedo correctly reflects its temporary nature.

What does tarda en secarse mean, and why is the verb secarse used in its reflexive form?

Tarda en secarse means “takes a long time to dry.” The reflexive form secarse is used because the action of drying is happening to the clothes themselves without an external agent actively drying them. This construction is common in Spanish when describing processes that occur naturally or by themselves.

What does the phrase al aire libre mean in this sentence?