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Questions & Answers about Leo un poco antes de dormir.
Why use leo instead of estoy leyendo?
Leo is the simple present indicative of leer and is used for habitual actions or routines (“I read a little before bed” habitually). Estoy leyendo is the present progressive, which describes an action in progress right now (“I’m reading a little before bed at this very moment”).
What does un poco add to the sentence, and why is it placed after the verb?
Un poco means “a little.” It qualifies the amount you read. In Spanish, adverbs or adverbial phrases of quantity typically follow the verb: leo un poco (“I read a little”). You could also say leo antes de dormir un poco, but placing un poco immediately after the verb is most natural.
Can I say Leo un poco antes de ir a dormir? What’s the difference?
Yes, you can. Ir a dormir literally means “to go to sleep,” emphasizing the act of going to bed. Antes de dormir is shorter and focuses on the moment of sleeping itself. Both are common and interchangeable in everyday speech.
Why is dormir an infinitive after antes de? Shouldn’t it be conjugated?
After prepositions like de, Spanish uses the infinitive form of verbs. So you say antes de dormir (“before sleeping”) rather than a conjugated form (antes de duermo would be ungrammatical).
Does this sentence imply I do this every night?
Yes. In Spanish, the simple present often denotes habitual or repeated actions. Leo un poco antes de dormir suggests that you regularly read a bit before going to sleep, even if you don’t specify “every night.”
Could I start with Antes de dormir, leo un poco? Does the meaning change?
No, the meaning stays the same. Fronting antes de dormir places slight emphasis on the time (“Before sleeping…”), but it’s equivalent to the original word order. A comma after the introductory phrase is optional: Antes de dormir, leo un poco.
What’s the difference between dormir and acostarse here? Can I say antes de acostarme?
Dormir = “to sleep,” acostarse = “to go to bed.” You can say antes de acostarme (“before going to bed”) if you want to emphasize lying down rather than the act of sleeping. Leo un poco antes de acostarme is perfectly natural and very common.
Why not say Leo algo antes de dormir instead of un poco?
Algo can mean “something” or “a bit” in some contexts (“I read something before sleeping”). But un poco specifically indicates a small quantity (“a little”). If you mean “I read a little,” un poco is more precise. Leo algo might be misunderstood as “I read something (unspecified).”
I didn’t specify what I read. Is that acceptable in Spanish?
Absolutely. Saying leo un poco implies you read some unspecified material. If you need to clarify, you can add an object: leo un poco de un libro, leo un poco de noticias, etc. Otherwise, Spanish speakers readily accept the generality.