Breakdown of Yo le paso mi lapicero al alcalde para que firme mi cartera nueva.
yo
I
mi
my
nuevo
new
a
to
le
to him
pasar
to hand
para que
so that
firmar
to sign
el lapicero
the pen
el alcalde
the mayor
la cartera
the wallet
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Spanish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Yo le paso mi lapicero al alcalde para que firme mi cartera nueva.
Why do we have yo at the beginning? Can’t we just say Le paso mi lapicero al alcalde para que firme mi cartera nueva?
In Spanish the subject pronoun is usually optional because the verb ending tells you who the subject is.
- Yo is included here for emphasis or clarity (“I’m the one doing it”).
- You can omit yo without changing the meaning: Le paso mi lapicero al alcalde para que firme mi cartera nueva is perfectly natural.
Why is there le before paso and also al alcalde? Isn’t that redundant?
Spanish requires an indirect object pronoun even when you name the person explicitly. This is called clitic doubling.
- le marks “to him/her.”
- al alcalde specifies exactly who that person is.
Both together are standard and mandatory in most dialects.
How do I know which is the direct object and which is the indirect object in le paso mi lapicero al alcalde?
Ask two simple questions:
- What is being passed? → mi lapicero (direct object)
- To whom is it being passed? → al alcalde (indirect object)
Why do we use para que firme with the subjunctive firme, instead of the indicative firma?
After para que (so that) when expressing purpose or intent, Spanish always uses the subjunctive. You’re saying you hand over the pen with the purpose that the mayor sign your wallet, not stating a fact. Hence firme (subjunctive), not firma (indicative).
Could I say Le paso mi lapicero al alcalde para firmar mi cartera nueva instead?
Only if the subject of both verbs is the same.
- para firmar
- infinitive implies you (the speaker) will sign your wallet.
- Because you want the mayor to sign it, you need para que
- subjunctive (firme), since the subject of pasar (yo) differs from the subject of firmar (el alcalde).
What’s the difference between lapicero, bolígrafo, and pluma?
All can mean “pen,” but usage varies:
- bolígrafo is the most common term for a ballpoint pen in many countries.
- lapicero also refers to pens, especially in Latin America.
- pluma often means “fountain pen” or more literary “pen.”
What does cartera mean here? Is it a wallet or a bag?
In Latin America cartera usually means “wallet” or “billfold.” In some regions it can also mean “handbag” or “purse,” but most often you’ll hear it for a wallet you carry money in.
Why is the adjective nueva after cartera and not before?
Spanish places descriptive adjectives after the noun by default: cartera nueva.
Putting it before (nueva cartera) is possible but adds poetic or emphatic nuance. In neutral speech or writing, post-nominal position is standard.