Breakdown of Mis amigos nadan en la piscina cada verano; yo casi nunca nado.
yo
I
en
in
mi
my
el amigo
the friend
cada
each, every
nadar
to swim
el verano
the summer
la piscina
the pool
casi nunca
almost never
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Questions & Answers about Mis amigos nadan en la piscina cada verano; yo casi nunca nado.
Why is the verb nadan used for mis amigos but nado for yo?
Spanish verbs must agree with their subjects in person and number. Mis amigos is third-person plural, so you use nadan. Yo is first-person singular, so you use nado.
Why include the pronoun yo when Spanish verbs already show the subject?
Subject pronouns are optional in Spanish because the verb ending indicates the subject. You include yo here for emphasis or clarity, especially since you’re contrasting your actions with those of your friends.
What does casi nunca mean, and how is it different from nunca or casi no?
Casi nunca means “almost never” or “rarely.” Nunca means “never,” with no exceptions. Casi no + verb can also mean “hardly” or “barely” do something, but in standard usage speakers prefer casi nunca for “rarely.”
Could I say todos los veranos instead of cada verano?
Yes. Cada verano (“each summer”) and todos los veranos (“all the summers”) both mean “every summer.” They’re interchangeable: Mis amigos nadan en la piscina todos los veranos is just as correct.
Why do we say nadan en la piscina with en and include la?
Use en to indicate location (“inside the pool”). The definite article la is required in Spanish when speaking generically or habitually about a noun. You wouldn’t say nadan piscina; nadan en la piscina is the standard form. (By contrast, ir a la piscina uses a because it means “go to the pool.”)
What’s the function of the semicolon (;) here? Could I use a period or a conjunction instead?
A semicolon links two closely related sentences and highlights the contrast between your friends swimming and you almost never doing it. You could also write two separate sentences or use a conjunction like pero:
Mis amigos nadan… cada verano.
Yo casi nunca nado.
or
Mis amigos nadan… cada verano, pero yo casi nunca nado.
Are mis amigos and amigos míos both correct for “my friends”?
Yes. Mis amigos (possessive adjective before the noun) is the most common. Amigos míos (possessive pronoun after the noun) is also correct but adds a bit of emphasis or a more personal tone.
Could I say yo nado casi nunca instead of yo casi nunca nado?
Yes. Adverbs of frequency can go before or after the verb in Spanish. Yo casi nunca nado (pre-verbal placement) is more idiomatic, but Yo nado casi nunca is also grammatically correct with almost no difference in meaning.