Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Compartir un pensamiento sabio puede cambiar la decisión de alguien. - Sharing a wise thought can change someone’s decision.

In Spanish you can use the infinitive as a noun—to function as the subject of a clause. Here, Compartir means “the act of sharing,” so it stands in for “sharing” in English and serves as the sentence’s subject.

Why is the adjective sabio placed after pensamiento? Can I say sabio pensamiento?

Most descriptive adjectives in Spanish come after the noun, so pensamiento sabio is the neutral, everyday word order. Putting sabio before the noun (sabio pensamiento) isn’t wrong, but it’s more poetic or emphatic and less common in regular speech.

Why is there no preposition before cambiar la decisión?

The verb cambiar is transitive, which means it takes a direct object without any preposition. You simply say cambiar algo (“to change something”) rather than “to change at something” or similar.

Why use de alguien instead of a possessive like su decisión?

Using de alguien makes it clear you’re talking about “someone’s decision” in an indefinite sense. If you said su decisión, it could mean “his,” “her,” or “their” decision in a specific context and might confuse the reader.

Could I replace puede with podría here?

Yes. puede expresses a general ability or possibility (“can change”), while podría is the conditional (“could change”), implying a more hypothetical or less certain scenario.

What’s the difference between pensamiento and idea?

Both refer to mental constructs, but pensamiento often implies a more developed or reflective line of thought, whereas idea tends to mean a notion, concept, or proposal.

How would sabio change if I used idea instead of pensamiento?

Since idea is feminine, the adjective must agree: you’d say una idea sabia instead of un pensamiento sabio.

Can I say cambiarle la decisión a alguien instead of cambiar la decisión de alguien?

Yes. In colloquial Spanish you often use the dative clitic le: cambiarle la decisión a alguien (“to change someone’s decision”). It’s a more conversational structure but means the same thing.

How can I turn this into passive voice?

A passive version would be:
La decisión de alguien puede ser cambiada al compartir un pensamiento sabio.
It’s grammatically correct but more formal and less direct than the active-infinitive style.

Could I use influir en la decisión de alguien instead of cambiar la decisión?

Absolutely. Influir en means “to influence,” so
Compartir un pensamiento sabio puede influir en la decisión de alguien
means “Sharing a wise thought can influence someone’s decision,” which is a softer nuance.