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Questions & Answers about Cuando el cohete ilumine el cielo, todos aplaudirán.
Why is ilumine used instead of ilumina?
Because in Spanish, when you have cuando introducing an action that will happen in the future, the verb in that subordinate clause must be in the present subjunctive. Here the event (“the rocket lighting up the sky”) is not a habitual fact but a future possibility. That’s why we say ilumine (present subjunctive) rather than ilumina (present indicative).
Why do we say aplaudirán instead of using the present tense?
The main clause describes what will happen after the rocket lights up the sky, so we need the simple future tense. Aplaudirán is the third-person plural of the future tense (they will applaud). If it were a habitual or general truth, you might use aplauden (present indicative), but here it’s a one-time future result.
What’s the rule for using cuando with the subjunctive?
When cuando refers to a future action or event that hasn’t occurred yet, Spanish requires the present subjunctive in the subordinate clause. Examples:
• Cuando llueva, te avisaré.
• Cuando llegue María, empezamos.
Once that action becomes certain or habitual, you switch to the indicative.
Why is there a comma after the subordinate clause (“Cuando el cohete ilumine el cielo, …”)?
In Spanish, when the cuando-clause comes first, you separate it from the main clause with a comma. If you reverse the order (“Todos aplaudirán cuando el cohete ilumine el cielo”), the comma is optional and often omitted.
What does todos refer to, and why is it placed before the verb?
Todos is an indefinite pronoun meaning “everyone” or “all of them.” In Spanish, subject pronouns are often placed before the verb, and you can even drop them (because the verb ending already shows the subject):
• (Ellos) aplaudirán.
But todos aplaudirán emphasizes the idea that literally everyone applauds.
Why say el cielo instead of just cielo or un cielo?
Spanish generally uses the definite article with parts of nature or broad, non-countable concepts: el sol, la lluvia, el cielo, la tierra. Saying el cielo conveys “the sky in general,” not “a sky.”
Is there any particular nuance in calling it el cohete?
Cohete is the common Spanish word for “rocket.” It’s masculine, so it takes el in the singular. If you wanted to be more technical or poetic, you could say el vehículo espacial, la nave, or in some regions la cohete is incorrect because of agreement—always el cohete.
How do you pronounce ilumine, and where is the stress?
I-lu-MI-ne. The stress falls on the third syllable from the end (-mi-) because in Spanish, words ending in a vowel (-e) are naturally stressed on the penultimate syllable unless there’s an accent mark. So no written accent is needed.
Could we replace cuando with en cuanto or tan pronto como here?
Yes. Cuando, en cuanto and tan pronto como all work with the same subjunctive rule for future events. For example:
• En cuanto el cohete ilumine el cielo, todos aplaudirán.
• Tan pronto como el cohete ilumine el cielo, todos aplaudirán.
They’re interchangeable, though en cuanto and tan pronto como can sound slightly more formal.
