Breakdown of Si se afeita la barba, quizá pierda su apodo divertido.
su
his
él
he
si
if
divertido
funny
perder
to lose
la barba
the beard
el apodo
the nickname
afeitarse
to shave
quizá
maybe
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Questions & Answers about Si se afeita la barba, quizá pierda su apodo divertido.
Why is afeitarse reflexive here (as se afeita la barba)?
In Spanish, personal care actions—shaving, washing, dressing—are typically reflexive. The reflexive pronoun se signals that the subject is performing the action on themselves. So instead of afeita la barba, we say se afeita la barba.
Why is there no explicit subject pronoun (él) in se afeita?
Spanish verbs are conjugated to show person and number, so the subject pronoun is often redundant. Afeita already tells you the subject is third-person singular, making él unnecessary.
Why do we say la barba instead of su barba?
When using reflexive verbs for body parts or clothing, Spanish uses a definite article (la barba) rather than a possessive adjective. This is more natural than se afeita su barba.
Why is pierda in the subjunctive mood instead of pierde (indicative)?
The word quizá expresses doubt or possibility (“perhaps”). In Spanish, expressions of uncertainty like quizá trigger the present subjunctive in the following clause, hence pierda.
Could we use perderá (future indicative) instead of pierda?
Yes. You could say Si se afeita la barba, quizá perderá su apodo divertido. But because quizá emphasizes uncertainty, Spanish speakers often prefer the subjunctive (pierda) to match that nuance.
What’s the difference between quizá, quizás, and tal vez?
All three mean “perhaps” or “maybe.” Quizá and quizás are interchangeable—the -s in quizás is optional. Tal vez is equally common and slightly more colloquial. All can take the subjunctive.
Why does divertido come after apodo instead of before it?
In Spanish, descriptive adjectives generally follow the noun (apodo divertido). Placing divertido after apodo states it as a characteristic of the nickname.
Why is the si clause in the present indicative (se afeita) rather than subjunctive?
For real or likely conditions (Type I conditional), Spanish uses the present indicative after si. Subjunctive in the si clause is reserved for hypothetical or contrary-to-fact conditions (Type II).