Breakdown of Reviso la lista antes de salir.
yo
I
antes de
before
revisar
to check
salir
to leave
la lista
the list
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Questions & Answers about Reviso la lista antes de salir.
What tense and person is reviso?
It’s the present indicative, first person singular of revisar: “I check” or “I am checking.” Conjugation (present): yo reviso, tú revisas, él/ella revisa, nosotros revisamos, ustedes/ellos revisan.
Why is there no yo? Shouldn’t it be Yo reviso?
Spanish usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the subject. Yo reviso is fine for emphasis or contrast, but Reviso is the default.
Why is it la lista and not mi lista or una lista?
- la lista: a specific, known list (the one we both know about).
- mi lista: emphasizes it’s your list.
- una lista: any list, non-specific.
Choose based on how specific/possessive you want to be.
What does revisar mean here? Is it a false friend with English “revise”?
In Spanish, revisar typically means “to check/inspect/go over.” For studying or reviewing material, you might also see repasar. For verifying correctness, verificar or comprobar. English “revise” (to edit) can also be revisar in Spanish when editing text.
Are there regional alternatives to revisar in Latin America?
Yes:
- checar (Mexico; very common, informal): “Checo la lista…”
- chequear (many countries; informal): “Chequeo la lista…”
- verificar/comprobar (more formal).
All are widely understood, but register and regional flavor vary.
Why is it antes de salir and not just antes salir?
After antes, Spanish requires de before an infinitive or noun. So: antes de salir is correct. Saying antes salir is ungrammatical.
Why is salir in the infinitive and not salgo?
After a preposition like de, Spanish uses the infinitive (salir). Finite forms like salgo don’t follow prepositions.
What’s the difference between antes de salir and antes de que salga?
- antes de salir: same subject for both actions (I check before I leave).
- antes de que + subjunctive: different subject (I check before you/he/she leaves), e.g., antes de que salgas/salga/salgan.
Note: Keep the de in antes de que.
Is antes de que salir ever correct?
No. With antes de que, you must use the subjunctive: antes de que salga/salgas/salgan.
Could I say salirse or irme here?
- salir is intransitive “to leave/go out” and works fine: antes de salir.
- irse emphasizes “to leave” as in “take off”: antes de irme = “before I leave.” Note the pronoun attaches to the infinitive: irme, not “de me ir.”
How do I specify the place I’m leaving?
Use salir de + place: antes de salir de la casa, antes de salir del trabajo. The preposition is de (“from/out of”).
Can I change the word order to start with the time phrase?
Yes. Antes de salir, reviso la lista is equally natural. Commas help readability when the time phrase comes first.
How do I replace la lista with a pronoun?
Use the direct object pronoun la (feminine, singular):
- La reviso antes de salir.
- Antes de salir, la reviso.
Don’t attach it to salir; the object belongs to revisar, not salir.
Would present progressive sound better for something happening right now?
You can say Estoy revisando la lista antes de salir for an action in progress. Spanish also often uses simple present for near-present actions, so Reviso la lista… can still sound natural in context.
How do I say this in the past or future?
- Past (completed): Revisé la lista antes de salir.
- Habitual past: Revisaba la lista antes de salir.
- Future: Revisaré la lista antes de salir or more common: Voy a revisar la lista antes de salir.
Is there any pronunciation tip here?
- reviso: stress on VI—re-VI-so. The v is pronounced like a soft b in Spanish.
- salir: stress on LIR—sa-LIR. Final r is a light tap.
- In Latin America, s is always like English “s.”
Why not the personal a before la lista?
The personal a marks specific animate direct objects (usually people). lista is an inanimate thing, so no a is used: Reviso la lista, not “Reviso a la lista.”
If I mean “check items off the list,” is revisar still right?
You can still use revisar, but for checking off, you might hear:
- marcar or ir marcando (to mark/tick),
- tachar (to cross off),
- palomear (Mexico; to tick with a check mark).
Example: Voy marcando la lista antes de salir.