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Si la fiebre sube, anota cada síntoma y llama al doctor.

Si la fiebre sube, anota cada síntoma y llama al doctor.
If the fever rises, write down each symptom and call the doctor.
FromLesson 37inHardcore Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Si la fiebre sube, anota cada síntoma y llama al doctor.

Why is it sube (present indicative) after si, not suba (subjunctive)?
Spanish uses si + present indicative for real or likely conditions: Si la fiebre sube, llama... For hypothetical or unlikely situations, use si + imperfect subjunctive with a conditional or a softer recommendation: Si la fiebre subiera, deberías llamar / llamarías al doctor. Don’t use the future in the si-clause.
Are anota and llama commands, and for which person?
Yes. They’re affirmative tú commands (informal singular). Formation: the affirmative tú imperative equals the 3rd-person singular of the present indicative. Negatives switch to the present subjunctive: no anotes, no llames.
How do I make it formal (usted)?
Use usted commands: Si la fiebre sube, anote cada síntoma y llame al doctor. Plural ustedes: anoten, llamen.
Can I flip the order to Si sube la fiebre?
Yes. Si la fiebre sube and Si sube la fiebre mean the same. Word order is flexible here.
Why is there a comma after the si clause?
When the si-clause comes first, a comma separates it from the main clause: Si la fiebre sube, ... If it comes second, the comma is usually omitted: Anota... y llama..., si la fiebre sube.
Why is it cada síntoma (singular) and not plural?
Cada always takes a singular noun in Spanish: cada síntoma, cada día, cada persona.
Is síntoma masculine even though it ends in -a?
Yes. It’s one of several Greek-origin nouns in -ma that are masculine: el síntoma, el problema, el tema. Plural: los síntomas. With cada, no article is used: cada síntoma.
Could I say anota cada uno de los síntomas?
Yes. It’s a bit more explicit/emphatic than anota cada síntoma, but both are fine.
What’s the difference between anotar, apuntar, escribir, and notar?
  • anotar/apuntar: to jot down/write down (near-synonyms; apuntar can feel a bit more informal).
  • escribir: to write (more general).
  • notar: to notice/perceive, not to write.
Why llamar al doctor and not llamar el doctor?
People take the personal a: llamar a + [person]. With el, a + el contracts to al: llamar al doctor. This is independent of whether you add a pronoun later.
Should I say doctor or médico?
In much of Latin America, doctor/doctora is the common everyday way to refer to or address a physician. Médico/médica is perfectly correct too and is more neutral/technical. In Spain, médico is more common than in many Latin American countries.
If the doctor is a woman, do I change the article?
Yes: llama a la doctora (or a la médica).
Can I say Si te sube la fiebre...?
Yes. Subir often appears with an indirect object pronoun to mark who is affected: Si te/le/me sube la fiebre, ... It’s very idiomatic: “if your/their/my fever goes up.”
Can I use the future (subirá) in the si clause?
No. Spanish normally uses the present in the si clause for future meaning: Si la fiebre sube, llamarás... The future can appear in the main clause, not in the si clause.
Any pronunciation tips for these words?
  • llama is pronounced like “yama” in most of Latin America (yeísmo); in parts of Argentina/Uruguay you’ll hear a “zh/sh” sound.
  • síntoma is stressed on the first syllable: SÍN-to-ma (hence the written accent).
  • anota is stressed a-NO-ta.
  • doctor is doc-TOR.
Do I ever change y to e here?
No. Y changes to e only before words beginning with an “i/hi” sound (e.g., e interesante). Llama starts with an “ll” sound, so y stays y: ...síntoma y llama...
Can I say llama a un doctor instead of al doctor?
Yes. A un doctor implies any doctor (unspecified). Al doctor suggests a specific/known doctor (e.g., your doctor).
Where do object pronouns go with commands like these?
Is llamarle correct?
With llamar (to call someone), the object is direct, so standard Spanish prefers lo/la/los/las: Llámalo/Llámala. In much of Spain you’ll hear le (leísmo: Llámale), which is common there. In Latin America, stick with lo/la or just llama al doctor.
Why not si la fiebre se sube?
Without a pronoun referring to a person, la fiebre sube is the normal phrasing. You can use a clitic to show who’s affected: Se me/te/le sube la fiebre is idiomatic, but la fiebre se sube on its own sounds odd. Also, keep la: Spanish typically uses the article with nouns like this in subject position: Si la fiebre sube... (but after tener you drop it: tengo fiebre).
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“How does verb conjugation work in Spanish?”
Spanish verbs change form based on the subject, tense, and mood. Regular verbs follow predictable patterns depending on whether they end in ‑ar, ‑er, or ‑ir. For example, "hablar" (to speak) becomes "hablo" (I speak), "hablas" (you speak), and "habla" (he/she speaks) in the present tense.

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