Breakdown of Siempre reviso mi reloj para no llegar tarde al experimento.
yo
I
mi
my
llegar
to arrive
tarde
late
para
for
a
to
revisar
to check
siempre
always
no
not
el experimento
the experiment
el reloj
the watch
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Questions & Answers about Siempre reviso mi reloj para no llegar tarde al experimento.
Why is siempre placed at the beginning of the sentence? Can I put it after the verb?
Siempre means "always" and is an adverb of frequency. In Spanish, you can place adverbs before or after the verb or at the very beginning for emphasis. Saying Siempre reviso mi reloj highlights how habitual the action is. You could also say Reviso siempre mi reloj or Reviso mi reloj siempre, but the emphasis shifts slightly each time.
What nuance does reviso mi reloj carry, and can I use miro mi reloj instead?
Revisar means "to check" or "to examine," implying a deliberate action to verify the time. Mirar simply means "to look at." So reviso mi reloj emphasizes checking the time carefully, while miro mi reloj just says you look at your watch. Both are grammatically correct, but revisar is more precise when you want to convey that you’re checking.
I’ve heard checar in Mexico. Can I say checo mi reloj?
Yes. In many Latin American countries—especially Mexico—checar (from English "check") is widely used in informal speech. Checo mi reloj is perfectly natural in Mexican Spanish. In other regions, speakers often prefer revisar, but everyone will understand checar.
What does the para no + infinitive structure express?
The construction para no + [infinitive] expresses purpose with negation: "in order not to…," "so as not to…." Here, para no llegar tarde means "so that I don’t arrive late" or "in order not to be late."
Why do we say llegar tarde instead of estar tarde or another verb?
Spanish uses llegar tarde (literally "to arrive late") to mean "to be late" for an appointment or event. Estar tarde is not used in that sense. If you want to say someone is delayed or late in a general sense, you could use estar retrasado/a or estar demorado/a, but not estar tarde.
What is al in al experimento, and why is it not a el?
Al is the contraction of a + el, required before masculine singular nouns. So a el experimento becomes al experimento. Spanish always contracts these forms.
Could I say para no llegar a tiempo instead of para no llegar tarde? How do they differ?
Llegar a tiempo means "to arrive on time" (punctually), whereas llegar tarde means "to arrive late." Saying para no llegar a tiempo would mean "so as not to arrive on time," which is the opposite of the intended meaning.