Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): La rueda gira lentamente cuando el motor funciona. - The wheel spins slowly when the engine works.

In Spanish, most nouns ending in -a are feminine (like casa, silla, rueda). There are exceptions (e.g., el día, el mapa), but as a rule of thumb, rueda follows the standard pattern and takes feminine articles and adjectives.

Why do we include la and el before rueda and motor, while in English we might say “wheels spin” without “the”?

Spanish typically uses definite articles before singular and plural nouns even in general statements. English often drops “the” for generalizations (“Wheels spin...”), but Spanish prefers La rueda gira... or Las ruedas giran... to talk about wheels in general.

Why is gira in the simple present tense instead of a present‐progressive like “está girando”?

The simple present (indicative) in Spanish covers habitual actions and general truths (“the wheel spins whenever the engine runs”). The present‐progressive (estar + gerund) is reserved for actions happening right now: La rueda está girando en este momento.

Why do we say cuando el motor funciona (indicative) and not cuando el motor funcione (subjunctive)?

After cuando, use the indicative if you’re describing habitual events or factual conditions. You switch to the subjunctive when the action is future, uncertain, or not yet realized: Cuando el motor funcione, pondré la máquina en marcha.

Why is lentamente placed after gira? Could it go somewhere else?

Single‐word adverbs like lentamente naturally follow the verb in Spanish. You could say La rueda lentamente gira, but it sounds less natural. Post‐verbal placement keeps the flow smoother.

What’s the difference between lentamente and despacio? Can I use them interchangeably?

Both mean “slowly.” Despacio is more colloquial and frequent in everyday speech; lentamente is the direct adverbial form of lento/a and slightly more formal. In most contexts, they’re interchangeable.

Are girar, rotar, and dar vueltas all the same for “to spin”?

They overlap but have nuances. Girar and rotar are near‐synonyms (often more technical), indicating a turning or rotating motion around an axis. Dar vueltas is colloquial and emphasizes going around repeatedly (like “to go around/spin around”).

Can I invert the clauses to say Cuando el motor funciona, la rueda gira lentamente?

Yes. Spanish allows you to start with the dependent clause: Cuando el motor funciona, la rueda gira lentamente. The meaning stays the same; you’re simply putting the condition first.