Breakdown of Pondremos rosas en ese florero antes de que lleguen los invitados.
en
in
nosotros
we
llegar
to arrive
ese
that
poner
to put
antes de que
before
el florero
the vase
la rosa
the rose
el invitado
the guest
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Questions & Answers about Pondremos rosas en ese florero antes de que lleguen los invitados.
Why is the verb poner conjugated as pondremos instead of using the present tense (ponemos) or the periphrastic future (vamos a poner)?
We use pondremos because it’s the simple future tense, which
- expresses a planned action in the future,
- sounds more formal or decisive than vamos a poner, and
- is more concise than using the present when you clearly mean “we will put” rather than “we put.”
You could say vamos a poner rosas…, but pondremos puts a little more emphasis on the “will.”
Why does antes de que require the subjunctive lleguen instead of the indicative llegan?
In Spanish, time conjunctions that anticipate a future action—like antes de que, cuando, hasta que—trigger the subjunctive because you’re talking about something that hasn’t happened yet.
Here:
- antes de que = “before (they) ever arrive”
- lleguen is subjunctive, matching that unsettled, future event.
Could I say antes de llegar los invitados (using the infinitive) instead of antes de que lleguen los invitados?
No, because:
- With an infinitive after antes de, the subject of both clauses must be the same (“we” in your main clause and the subject of the subordinated action must also be “we”).
- Here the subjects differ: we (pondremos) vs. the guests (lleguen), so you need antes de que + subjunctive.
Why is it ese florero and not este florero or aquel florero?
Spanish demonstratives:
- este florero = the vase close to the speaker
- ese florero = the vase close to the listener or just mentioned
- aquel florero = the vase farther away from both
Using ese suggests you and your listener already know which vase you’re talking about, but it’s not right next to you (so not este) nor very far away (aquel).
Can I substitute invitados with huéspedes here?
Yes. Both mean “guests,” but:
- invitados emphasizes “people invited” (focus on invitation)
- huéspedes emphasizes “people staying/visiting” (focus on hospitality)
In many contexts they’re interchangeable, but subtle nuance differs.
What’s the difference in word order between lleguen los invitados and los invitados lleguen? Which is more common?
Spanish word order is flexible. Both are grammatically correct.
- lleguen los invitados puts focus on the action “arrive.”
- los invitados lleguen emphasizes “the guests.”
Choose the one that fits your emphasis; the first is slightly more neutral.
Could I start the sentence with Antes de que lleguen los invitados and then continue with pondremos rosas en ese florero?
Absolutely. You can reorder:
“Antes de que lleguen los invitados, pondremos rosas en ese florero.”
Just remember to add a comma after the introductory clause.