Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Esta noche pondré la almohada sobre la escalera para evitar que el gato suba. - Tonight I will put the pillow on the stairs to prevent the cat from going up.

Esta noche means “tonight,” the upcoming night.
Anoche means “last night,” referring to the night that just passed.
En la noche is more general (“at night”) and doesn’t pinpoint tonight specifically.

Why is pondré used instead of voy a poner?

Spanish has two main ways to talk about the future:

Simple future: pondré (“I will put”) – formed with an irregular stem and future endings.
Periphrastic future: voy a poner (“I’m going to put”) – colloquial and very common.
Both are correct; pondré often sounds a bit more formal or expresses a firmer intention.

Why does pondré have an accent?

Accent rules require marking stress when it doesn’t fall on the expected syllable:

Words ending in a vowel, n or s are stressed on the next-to-last syllable by default.
Without an accent, pondre would be pronounced PON-dre, but we need pon-DRÉ.
The accent on pondré shifts stress to the last syllable and flags it as an irregular future form.

Why the definite article la in la almohada instead of una almohada or no article?

Spanish often uses the definite article for specific items or things assumed to be known by speaker and listener. It doesn’t always map 1:1 to English “the.”

La almohada implies “the pillow” you both have in mind.
Una almohada would be “a pillow,” focusing on any pillow rather than that particular one.
Omitting the article (almohada) sounds odd here because Spanish grammar typically requires one.

What does sobre mean here? Can I use encima de or en instead?

Sobre = “on,” “on top of,” or “over.”
Encima de is a direct synonym and perfectly acceptable:
“Pondré la almohada encima de la escalera.”
En is more general and can mean “in” or “on,” but doesn’t emphasize “on top.” Saying en la escalera might just mean “somewhere on/in the staircase/ladder.”

Why para evitar que el gato suba instead of para que el gato no suba?

Both express purpose with a negative outcome, but they differ subtly:

Para evitar que + [subjunctive] emphasizes the act of preventing: “in order to prevent the cat from climbing.”
Para que + [subjunctive] focuses on the intended result: “so that the cat doesn’t climb.”
Both are grammatically correct; choosing one depends on whether you highlight the prevention itself (evitar) or the intended goal (para que).

Why is suba in the subjunctive rather than sube or subir?

After verbs like evitar, when you introduce a new subject (el gato) for the subordinate verb, Spanish requires que + present subjunctive.
Suba (subjunctive) expresses a potential or desired action you want to stop.
Sube (indicative) would simply state “the cat climbs,” without the nuance of “preventing.”
The infinitive subir can only follow evitar directly if there’s no change of subject: evitar subir (avoid climbing), but here the subject shifts from “I” to “the cat,” so you need que + subjunctive.

Can we omit el gato in que el gato suba and just say para evitar que suba?

Yes. Spanish often drops explicit subjects when they’re clear from context.

Para evitar que suba still means “to prevent [it/the cat] from climbing.”
Including el gato adds clarity or emphasis, especially if multiple animals or people are in the conversation.

What’s the difference between escalera, escalón and when to use each?

Escalera can mean “ladder” (portable) or “staircase” (fixed structure), depending on context.
Escalón is a single stair step.
To say “the cat climbs the stairs,” you’d use subir las escaleras or subir por la escalera (if you mean a single ladder).
If you refer to one step, you’d mention escalón.

What’s the difference between almohada, almohadilla and cojín?

Almohada: pillow for sleeping (on a bed).
Almohadilla: small pad or cushion (e.g., for makeup, wrist support).
Cojín: cushion, often decorative, used on sofas or chairs.