Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): No olvides traer una bolsa extra para la sandía. - Don’t forget to bring an extra bag for the watermelon.

In Spanish, negative commands for tú use the present subjunctive. So to tell someone “Don’t forget”, you take the subjunctive form olvides and add No: No olvides.

Why do we use traer here and not llevar?

Traer means “to bring (toward the speaker),” while llevar means “to take (away from the speaker).” Since you’re asking someone to bring an extra bag to your location, traer is the correct verb.

Why is the adjective extra placed after the noun (bolsa) and not before it?

In Spanish, most adjectives follow the noun they modify. So you say bolsa extra (“extra bag”) rather than extra bolsa.

Why is para used before la sandía instead of por or another preposition?

Para indicates purpose or intended use. Here it means “for the watermelon” (i.e., a bag intended to hold the watermelon). Por would suggest “because of” or “through,” which doesn’t fit this meaning.

Why do we include the article la before sandía?

Because sandía (“watermelon”) is a feminine, singular noun, and here you’re talking about a specific watermelon. Using la marks it as that particular one you have in mind.

Could you say No olvides traer bolsa extra para la sandía without the una?

In very casual speech someone might omit una, but standard Spanish prefers an article before a singular, countable noun. So una bolsa extra is more correct than leaving out una.

Can I use otra bolsa instead of una bolsa extra?

Yes. Otra bolsa means “another bag” and works if you already have one bag and need one more. It’s a bit more conversational than una bolsa extra, but both are correct.

Is extra the same as adicional?

They’re similar in meaning, but extra is more colloquial and widely used in everyday Latin American Spanish. Adicional is more formal and often found in written or technical contexts.