Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Tuvimos una charla breve con la directora antes de la reunión importante. - We had a brief chat with the principal before the important meeting.

Latin American Spanish generally uses the preterite for completed past actions. tuvimos simply states “we had” something that’s done. Although hemos tenido is grammatically correct, it’s less common down here and can imply a connection or relevance to the present moment.

Why don’t we use nosotros before tuvimos to say “we had”?

Because in Spanish the verb ending -imos already tells you it’s “we.” Adding nosotros is redundant unless you really want to stress who did it (e.g., Nosotros tuvimos…).

Why is the word charla used instead of conversación or plática?

Charla conveys a short, informal but focused talk—sometimes a brief presentation or quick meeting. Conversación is more general for any back-and-forth dialogue, and plática is a regional synonym (especially in Mexico) for an informal chat.

Can we say breve charla instead of charla breve? Do they mean the same?

Yes, both are grammatically correct. Adjectives usually follow nouns in Spanish (charla breve), but some—like breve—can go before (breve charla). Placing breve first often feels a bit more formal or emphatic.

Why is it con la directora? Could we say a la directora or drop the article?

You need con (with) to express that you had the talk together. a la directora would mean “to the director,” and Spanish typically requires the article before titles or roles—so con la directora, not con directora.

Why is it directora and not director?

Spanish nouns and their articles agree in gender. If the person in charge is female, you use la directora. If it were a man, you’d say el director.

Why do we say reunión importante and not importante reunión? Is there a difference?

Adjectives normally follow nouns in Spanish (reunión importante). Placing importante before the noun (importante reunión) is possible but gives a more formal or literary tone. In everyday Latin American speech, the post-noun position is preferred.

Why is there an article la before reunión but none before importante?

In Spanish, the definite or indefinite article goes with the noun (la reunión). importante is an adjective modifying that noun—adjectives don’t take a separate article.

Why does reunión have an accent on the ó but importante does not?

Spanish accent rules say that words ending in a vowel, n or s are stressed on the second-to-last syllable (so no accent is needed on importante). reunión, however, is stressed on the last syllable (an “aguda”) and ends in n, so it requires a written accent on ó.

Could we rephrase Tuvimos una charla breve as Charlamos brevemente? What changes?

Yes. Charlamos brevemente con la directora antes de la reunión importante is perfectly valid. Here you use the verb charlar + adverb brevemente instead of noun + adjective. The meaning is virtually the same; it’s just a different sentence structure.