Breakdown of Perdí el control remoto y ahora no puedo cambiar de canal con el botón del televisor.
yo
I
con
with
ahora
now
de
of
y
and
poder
to be able
cambiar
to change
no
not
perder
to lose
el televisor
the television
el botón
the button
el control
the control
remoto
remote
el canal
the channel
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Questions & Answers about Perdí el control remoto y ahora no puedo cambiar de canal con el botón del televisor.
Why does the sentence use el control remoto rather than mi control remoto?
In Spanish it’s common to use the definite article with personal or familiar objects when ownership is clear from context. Saying Perdí el control remoto already implies “my remote.” You can say Perdí mi control remoto, but using el sounds more natural in everyday speech.
Why is perdí in the simple past instead of the present perfect (he perdido)?
In Latin America speakers generally prefer the preterite (simple past) to describe completed actions, especially in casual conversation. Perdí is the preterite of perder, while he perdido (present perfect) is more common in Spain or when you want to emphasize a link to the present.
What’s the role of de in cambiar de canal?
The verb cambiar can be used two ways:
- Transitively: cambiar el canal (“change the channel” directly).
- Intransitively with de: cambiar de canal (“switch channels,” literally “change from channel”).
Both are correct; cambiar de canal simply uses a prepositional structure instead of a direct object.
Could you say cambiar el canal instead?
Yes. Cambiar el canal is perfectly valid. In that case you treat el canal as a direct object and could even replace it with a pronoun (no lo puedo cambiar). Many speakers use both interchangeably.
Why does the phrase say con el botón del televisor instead of con el mando?
Because the speaker has lost the remote (“mando” or “control remoto”) and is trying to use the TV’s built-in button instead. Botón del televisor specifies a button on the television set itself, not on a separate remote device.
Can you also say presionar el botón or apretar el botón?
Absolutely. Presionar and apretar both mean “to press.” For instance:
“No puedo cambiar de canal porque no puedo presionar el botón del televisor.”
In casual speech, though, just saying con el botón implies that you’re pressing it.
What’s the difference between televisor and televisión here?
Televisor refers to the physical TV set (the device). Televisión usually means “television” as a medium or broadcast service. Saying botón de la televisión would sound odd, since you don’t press a “television” itself—rather, you press a button on the televisor.
Why is no placed before puedo?
In Spanish basic negation puts no immediately before the conjugated verb: no puedo = “I can’t.” If you wanted to add emphasis you could say nunca puedo (“I never can”) or todavía no puedo (“I still can’t”), but the negative no always precedes the verb it negates.
Could the adverb ahora be placed elsewhere?
Yes. All of the following are correct and just shift the emphasis slightly:
- Ahora no puedo cambiar de canal. (Highlights that right now you can’t.)
- No puedo cambiar de canal ahora. (Neutral, adds “now” at the end.)
- No puedo ahora cambiar de canal. (Less common, but still understood.)
Why isn’t there a direct object pronoun like lo before puedo?
Because cambiar de canal treats canal as part of a prepositional phrase (with de), not as a direct object. Direct object pronouns (like lo) replace direct objects only, so here there isn’t one to replace. If you said cambiar el canal, you could say no lo puedo cambiar.