Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): En unos minutos, el murmullo desaparecerá y el salón estará en completo silencio. - In a few minutes, the murmur will disappear and the room will be in complete silence.

En unos minutos literally means “in a few minutes.” It’s an approximate time expression indicating that something will happen soon. You could also translate it as “just a few minutes from now.”

Why is the verb desaparecerá used here instead of the present tense?

Desaparecerá is in the simple future tense, showing that the action (“the murmur”) will take place after the moment of speaking. If you used the present tense (desaparece), it would suggest it’s happening right now rather than in the near future.

How do you form the simple future tense like desaparecerá?

To form the Spanish simple future for regular verbs, you keep the infinitive and add these endings:
–é, –ás, –á, –emos, –éis, –án
So for desaparecer:
desaparecer + –á = desaparecerá (“it will disappear”)

Why is estará used instead of será for “the hall will be in complete silence”?

Spanish uses estar for temporary states or conditions. Silence is a temporary condition of the hall. Ser would imply a permanent or defining characteristic, which doesn’t fit here.

What’s the difference between salón and sala? Could you say la sala instead?

Both salón and sala mean “room” or “hall,” but:

Salón often refers to a larger room (e.g., banquet hall, classroom).
Sala is more common for living rooms or smaller rooms in a house.
You could say la sala, but el salón suggests a bigger space.

Why is there an accent on salón?

Salón is a llana (stress on the penultimate syllable) ending in an “n.” Spanish rules say llana words ending in a consonant other than “n” or “s” need an accent. Since “salon” ends in “n,” it gets an accent: salón.

What does murmullo mean, and how is it different from ruido?

Murmullo means “murmur” or “low, continuous sound,” like quiet whispering or soft chatter. Ruido means “noise” in general, which can be loud or unpleasant. Here, murmullo suggests a soft background sound.

Why is there a comma after En unos minutos?

The comma separates the introductory time phrase (En unos minutos) from the main clause. It’s common in Spanish to use a comma after phrases that set the time or context at the start of a sentence.

Could you say silencio completo instead of en completo silencio?

Yes, silencio completo is also correct and means “complete silence.” However, en completo silencio (“in complete silence”) emphasizes the state or condition the hall will be in. Both are grammatically correct; it’s a stylistic choice.

Is completo always placed before silencio, or can you say silencio completo?

You can do both:

En completo silencio stresses the environment or state.
Silencio completo is a straightforward noun + adjective order.
Spanish word order is flexible, so choose based on emphasis.