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Questions & Answers about Abro mi sobre con cuidado.
What does sobre mean here?
In this sentence, sobre means envelope. Although sobre can also be a preposition meaning about or on top of, here it’s the noun for the paper container you open.
How can I tell this sobre isn’t the preposition?
Two clues: it follows the verb abrir (which takes a direct object) and it’s modified by the possessive mi. Prepositions don’t take possessive adjectives.
Why don’t we say abro el sobre if we know which envelope it is?
You can say abro el sobre (I open the envelope). But when you use a possessive adjective like mi, Spanish omits the article: you say mi sobre, not el mi sobre.
What person, number, and tense is abro?
Abro is first-person singular (yo) in the present indicative of abrir (to open). It literally means I open.
Why is it mi and not mío?
Mi is the possessive adjective (my) and goes before the noun: mi sobre. Mío is a possessive pronoun used alone (e.g. Este sobre es mío—“This envelope is mine”).
Why do we need con in con cuidado? Can’t I say abro mi sobre cuidado?
You need the preposition con (“with”) to form the phrase con cuidado (“with care” = carefully). Without con, cuidado would just be a noun (“care”) with no link to the verb.
Could I use an adverb instead of con cuidado?
Yes. You can say Abro cuidadosamente mi sobre. Cuidadosamente is the adverbial form of cuidadoso (“careful”).
Can I move con cuidado to the front?
Absolutely. Spanish word order is flexible here. Both Con cuidado abro mi sobre and Abro mi sobre con cuidado are correct, though starting with con cuidado puts a bit more emphasis on how you open it.