Breakdown of Si llueve, entonces me pongo el impermeable.
yo
I
si
if
llover
to rain
ponerse
to put on
entonces
then
el impermeable
the raincoat
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Questions & Answers about Si llueve, entonces me pongo el impermeable.
Is entonces necessary here?
No. It’s optional and just emphasizes the consequence. You can say Si llueve, me pongo el impermeable and it’s perfectly natural. Keeping entonces sounds a bit more explicit or formal.
Why is there a comma after Si llueve?
In Spanish, when the if-clause comes first, you normally add a comma: Si llueve, …. If you invert the order, you usually omit the comma: Me pongo el impermeable si llueve.
Why is there no yo? Shouldn’t it be yo me pongo?
Spanish usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the subject. Me pongo already signals first person singular. You can add yo for emphasis: Yo me pongo el impermeable.
Why do we need me with pongo?
With clothing, Spanish uses the reflexive verb ponerse to mean put on (oneself). Me pongo = I put on (on myself). Without me, pongo el impermeable means I put the raincoat somewhere (not on my body).
Can I say me lo pongo instead?
Yes, but only if the raincoat has already been mentioned or is obvious from context. Don’t double it with a noun. Say either Me pongo el impermeable or Me lo pongo, not Me lo pongo el impermeable.
Why el impermeable and not mi impermeable?
Spanish often uses the definite article with clothing and body parts after reflexive verbs: me pongo el impermeable (my raincoat). Mi impermeable is also fine and can stress which one is yours. Un impermeable means any raincoat.
Is impermeable a noun or an adjective?
Both. As a noun, it’s masculine: el impermeable (a raincoat). As an adjective, it means waterproof and agrees: una chaqueta impermeable, zapatos impermeables.
Are there Latin American alternatives to impermeable?
Yes. Common options:
- chaqueta/chamarra impermeable (general; Mexico often says chamarra)
- piloto (Southern Cone: Argentina, Uruguay, Chile)
- capa (de lluvia) (Central America and elsewhere)
- Spain often says chubasquero (less common in Latin America) Note: rompevientos is a windbreaker and not necessarily waterproof.
Why llueve and not está lloviendo?
Llueve states the condition in general (if it rains). Está lloviendo focuses on the action in progress (if it’s raining at that moment). Both work, but Si llueve is the default in conditionals.
Shouldn’t this use the subjunctive after si?
Not in a real or likely condition. Spanish uses the indicative: Si llueve, …. For a hypothetical/unlikely condition, use the past subjunctive with a conditional: Si lloviera, me pondría el impermeable.
Can I use the future in the si clause, like Si lloverá?
No. Spanish does not use the future tense in the if-clause. Say Si llueve, me pondré el impermeable if you want future in the main clause, but keep llueve (present) after si.
What’s the difference between me pongo and me pondré here?
Both are fine. Me pongo often expresses a general rule or immediate reaction. Me pondré explicitly frames it as a future action at that time.
How is the sentence pronounced?
A general Latin American pronunciation is: [si ˈʝweβe, enˈtonses me ˈpoŋɡo el impeɾmeˈaβle]. Tips: ll in llueve is usually like English y; v/b between vowels sounds soft [β]; pongo has an ng sound [ŋɡ]; stress in impermeable falls on the a: impeRMEAble.
Can I move entonces to another position?
Yes: Entonces, si llueve, me pongo el impermeable or Si llueve, me pongo el impermeable entonces (the last one is more conversational). The meaning remains a consequence.
Could I use cuando instead of si?
Different idea. Si = if/condition. Cuando = when/time. For future time, cuando takes the subjunctive: Cuando llueva, me pondré el impermeable (when it rains, I will put it on).
What’s the difference between me pongo and llevo/uso?
- Me pongo = I put it on (the action of dressing).
- Llevo/uso = I wear/use it (the state of wearing). Example: Si llueve, llevo el impermeable describes what you’ll be wearing, not the act of putting it on.
Any quick conjugation tips for ponerse?
Irregular in several forms:
- Present: me pongo, te pones, se pone, nos ponemos, se ponen
- Preterite: me puse, te pusiste, se puso, nos pusimos, se pusieron
- Past participle: puesto (as in me he puesto)
Is si supposed to have an accent?
No. Si without an accent means if. Sí with an accent means yes. Here it’s the conditional si.
Why does llueve have double L and what’s the verb pattern?
It’s from llover and it’s a stem-changing verb (o → ue): lluevo, llueves, llueve, llovemos, llueven. The double L is just spelling; in most of Latin America it sounds like English y.