Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Ajusté mi despertador para que suene más temprano y así evitar llegar tarde al trabajo. - I set my alarm clock to go off earlier, so I could avoid being late for work.

In Spanish, when a clause expresses a purpose or desired outcome—introduced by phrases like para que (“so that”)—the verb in that clause must be in the subjunctive mood. Here, suene is the subjunctive form of sonar (“to sound” or “to go off”), which is used to indicate that the speaker wants the alarm clock to ring earlier, even though it isn’t stating a fact.

What does ajusté mi despertador mean, and why is the verb in the preterite tense?

Ajusté mi despertador translates to “I adjusted my alarm clock.” The verb ajustar (“to adjust”) is used in its first-person singular preterite form ajusté to indicate that the speaker completed this action in the past. This tense is commonly used in Spanish to describe actions that were finished at a specific moment in the past.

Why is the infinitive evitar used in y así evitar llegar tarde al trabajo instead of a conjugated verb?

In this sentence, evitar (“to avoid”) is used in its infinitive form after the phrase y así, which means “and thus.” When expressing purpose or intended results, Spanish often uses the infinitive when the subject remains the same as that of the main clause. In this case, it implies “[I] avoid arriving late for work” without needing to repeat the subject.

What is the role of más temprano in the sentence, and how does it modify the meaning?

The phrase más temprano (“earlier”) specifies the time at which the alarm clock is intended to ring. It modifies the verb suene by indicating that the desired outcome is for the alarm to go off at an earlier time than usual. This adjustment is made to help ensure the speaker doesn’t arrive late to work.

Why does the sentence use two different expressions of purpose—para que suene más temprano and así evitar llegar tarde al trabajo?

The sentence breaks the overall purpose into two parts. The first part, para que suene más temprano, directly states the immediate intention behind adjusting the alarm (setting it to ring earlier). The second part, y así evitar llegar tarde al trabajo, explains the ultimate goal of this adjustment (avoiding lateness). This structure emphasizes both the means (the change in alarm time) and the desired result (timely arrival at work).

Is the choice of vocabulary, like despertador, specific to Latin American Spanish, and are there any regional variations to consider?

Despertador is a common term in Latin American Spanish for “alarm clock.” While the vocabulary in Spanish can vary by region—some speakers might say reloj despertador or even use different terms in Spain—the word despertador is widely understood in Latin America. The sentence as a whole is natural for a Latin American context, though slight variations might occur depending on the country or personal preference.