Breakdown of Si descubro un planeta nuevo, lo nombraré en honor a mi familia.
yo
I
en
in
mi
my
la familia
the family
nuevo
new
si
if
a
to
descubrir
to discover
lo
it
el honor
the honor
el planeta
the planet
nombrar
to name
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Questions & Answers about Si descubro un planeta nuevo, lo nombraré en honor a mi familia.
Why is the present tense used in the “si” clause (Si descubro…) instead of the future tense?
In Spanish, to express a real, possible future condition, you use the present indicative in the si-clause and then the future indicative in the main clause. So even though you’re talking about the future, you say Si descubro… not Si descubriré….
Could we use descubriré in the “si” clause?
No. Spanish grammar forbids the future tense in the protasis (the part after si). Always use the present indicative for conditions that are considered possible or likely.
What number and gender is lo in lo nombraré, and why is it used here?
Lo is a masculine, singular direct object pronoun. It replaces un planeta nuevo (“a new planet”) so you don’t have to repeat the noun. Since planeta is masculine, you use lo.
Why is the adjective nuevo placed after planeta, not before it?
Descriptive adjectives in Spanish typically follow the noun: planeta nuevo means “new planet.” You can put the adjective before the noun for stylistic reasons or emphasis (nuevo planeta), but the normal order is noun then adjective.
Why is the phrase en honor a mi familia using the preposition a?
The set expression is en honor a (in honor of), which requires a before the person or group you’re honoring. Without a, the phrase would be ungrammatical.
Why doesn’t “mi familia” need a definite article such as la?
When you use a possessive adjective (mi, tu, su, etc.), Spanish drops the definite article. So you say mi familia (my family), not la mi familia.
Could you change the sentence to a more hypothetical tone, and how?
Yes. Using the imperfect subjunctive in the si-clause plus conditional in the main clause makes it more remote or hypothetical:
Si descubriera un planeta nuevo, lo nombraría en honor a mi familia.
What tense is nombraré, and how is it formed?
Nombraré is the first person singular future indicative of nombrar. You form it by adding the future ending –é to the infinitive:
nombrar + é = nombraré.