Breakdown of Voy a leerla otra vez antes de dormir.
yo
I
dormir
to sleep
leer
to read
a
to
ir
to go
antes de
before
otra vez
again
la
it
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Questions & Answers about Voy a leerla otra vez antes de dormir.
In voy a leerla, doesn’t voy literally mean “I go”? Why translate it as “I’m going to read it” or “I will read it”?
Although voy usually means “I go,” when it appears in the construction ir + a + infinitive (here voy a leerla), it acts as an auxiliary verb to form the near-future tense. It’s equivalent to English “I’m going to read it” and expresses a planned or imminent action. There’s no physical movement implied.
Why is the pronoun la attached to leer instead of placed before voy?
With an infinitive, Spanish allows two placements for object pronouns:
- Before the conjugated verb: La voy a leer
- Attached to the infinitive: Voy a leerla
Both are grammatically correct. Attaching to the infinitive often sounds more fluid in speech.
Could I also say la voy a leer instead of voy a leerla? Are there any differences?
Yes, you can. La voy a leer and Voy a leerla mean exactly the same thing. There’s no difference in meaning, emphasis, or formality—just personal or regional preference.
Why does Spanish use voy a for the future here instead of the simple future (leeré)? Could I say la leeré otra vez antes de dormir?
Ir + a + infinitive (voy a leerla) is the near-future, common in everyday speech to express imminent or planned actions. The simple future (leeré) is more formal or can imply a more distant future or promise. You can indeed say La leeré otra vez antes de dormir, and it’s correct; it just sounds a bit more formal or distant than Voy a leerla.
What does otra vez mean? Could I use de nuevo instead?
Otra vez means “one more time” or “again.” You can also say de nuevo, which is equally correct but slightly more formal or emphatic. Example:
- Voy a leerla otra vez
- Voy a leerla de nuevo
Why is it antes de dormir and not antes que dormir?
When the subject stays the same, Spanish uses antes de + infinitive (here, no change of subject; it’s still “I”). You only use antes que + subjunctive when the subject changes:
- Antes de dormir, apago la luz.
- Antes de que te duermas, apaga la luz.
Why is dormir a bare infinitive? What about dormirme?
With antes de, if the subject doesn’t change, you use the bare infinitive (antes de dormir). If you attach the reflexive pronoun, dormirme, the nuance shifts slightly to “before I fall asleep” or “before I make myself sleep,” which is also correct but more reflexive in tone:
- Antes de dormir (general “before sleeping”)
- Antes de dormirme (focus on the act of falling asleep)
Could I say antes de acostarme instead of antes de dormir?
Yes. Acostarse means “to go to bed” or “lie down.” Antes de acostarme (“before I go to bed”) is perfectly natural and focuses on getting into bed, whereas antes de dormir focuses on the act of sleeping. Both are grammatically correct.