Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Mi mentora explica que hay que poner un límite al tiempo en redes sociales. - My mentor explains that you have to set a limit on time spent on social networks.

Hay que + infinitive is an impersonal expression meaning “one must / it’s necessary to…” in a general sense, without saying who exactly has to do it.

Hay que poner un límite…
→ One must set a limit… / It’s necessary to set a limit… (in general)

Tener que + infinitive usually has a subject and means “to have to…”:

Tenemos que poner un límite…
→ We have to set a limit… (we, specifically)

So:

Use hay que for general necessity: people in general/one should…
Use tener que for specific people: I/you/we/they have to…

Why is it mi mentora explica que and not mi mentora explica de que?

In Spanish, the verb explicar is followed directly by que, without the preposition de:

✅ explicar que…
❌ explicar de que…

Que here is a conjunction introducing a subordinate clause:

Mi mentora explica que…
→ My mentor explains that…

Adding de (explica de que) is a common mistake even among native speakers; it’s called “dequeísmo” and is considered incorrect in standard grammar.

What is the nuance of using mentora instead of mentor?

Mentora is the feminine form of mentor in Spanish.

mentor → male mentor (or unmarked masculine form)
mentora → female mentor

In this sentence:

Mi mentora = my (female) mentor

In everyday speech, many people still say mi mentor even when the mentor is a woman, but mentora is increasingly common and is the clear feminine form.

What does poner un límite literally mean, and is it similar to “set a limit” in English?

Yes, it’s very similar.

poner = to put / to set
un límite = a limit

So poner un límite literally is “to put a limit”, and idiomatically it matches English “to set a limit” or “set boundaries”.

Examples:

Hay que poner un límite al tiempo en redes sociales.
→ We need to set a limit on time on social media.

You can also say:

poner límites (plural) → set limits / set boundaries in a more general sense.

Why is it al tiempo and not a el tiempo?

In Spanish, the preposition a + the masculine singular article el contract to al:

a + el = al

So:

poner un límite a el tiempo → ❌ (grammatically wrong)
poner un límite al tiempo → ✅ (correct)

Al tiempo means “to the time / on the time” (as in setting a limit on the time).

Why is tiempo singular instead of something like los tiempos?

Here el tiempo refers to time in general, as a measurable resource or duration, so it’s used in the singular, similar to English “time” (an uncountable noun in this sense):

un límite al tiempo en redes sociales
→ a limit on (the amount of) time on social media

Using los tiempos would sound odd here; los tiempos is used more in expressions like “los tiempos han cambiado” (times have changed).

Why does límite have an accent mark, and how is it pronounced?

Límite has an accent on the first syllable because of Spanish stress rules.

lí-mi-te (three syllables)
The accent mark on lí shows that the stress is on the first syllable: LÍ-mi-te

Without the written accent, according to default rules, it would be stressed li-MI-te, which would be incorrect. So the accent is necessary.

Pronunciation guide (approximate):

lí like “lee” in leet
mi like “mee”
te like “teh”

So: LEE-mee-teh.

Why is there no article before redes sociales? Why not en las redes sociales?

Both are possible:

en redes sociales
en las redes sociales

En redes sociales (without article) is very common in modern, informal speech, especially in marketing, tech, or casual contexts. It sounds a bit more general and “platform-neutral,” like saying:

on social media (in a broad sense)

En las redes sociales also means “on social media”, but it can feel slightly more concrete or specific, like:

on the social networks (the known platforms)

In practice, both are correct and widely used. The sentence with en redes sociales sounds very natural and current.

What is the difference between en redes sociales and por redes sociales?

en redes sociales → literally “in/on social networks”
Often used for time spent, usage, presence:
- Pasa mucho tiempo en redes sociales.
  He/She spends a lot of time on social media.
por redes sociales → “through/by way of social networks”
Often used for means or channel of communication:
- Nos conocimos por redes sociales.
  We met through social media.
- Lo difundieron por redes sociales.
  They spread it via social media.

In your sentence, we are talking about time spent, so en redes sociales is the right choice.

Could we say Mi mentora dice que hay que poner un límite… instead? What would change?

Yes, you can say:

Mi mentora dice que hay que poner un límite al tiempo en redes sociales.

The difference:

explica = explains → suggests she is giving reasons, details, or a clear explanation.
dice = says → more general: she states or tells this, but doesn’t necessarily explain in detail.

Both are grammatically correct; explica emphasizes the explaining/teaching aspect.

Why is the verb explica in the present tense? Could it be explicó or explicaba?

Explica is present tense (she explains). It can refer to:

Something she habitually does:
→ My mentor (always) explains that…
Something she is explaining now (narrative present).

You could change the tense depending on context:

Mi mentora explicó que… → My mentor explained that… (completed action in the past)
Mi mentora explicaba que… → My mentor used to explain / would explain that… (repeated or ongoing in the past)

All three are correct; the choice depends on the time frame you want to express.

Is there any reason not to use the subjunctive after que here?

No subjunctive is needed because hay que + infinitive is the structure being used:

que hay que poner un límite…

The second verb is already in infinitive form (poner), not in a conjugated mood (indicative/subjunctive). You’d only consider subjunctive if the verb after que were conjugated and the main clause triggered it.

Compare:

Mi mentora explica que hay que poner un límite.
(explains that one must set a limit.) → infinitive poner, no subjunctive issue.

If you changed the structure:

Mi mentora quiere que pongamos un límite.
Here pongamos is subjunctive because of querer que + subjunctive.

Can I replace poner un límite al tiempo with something more natural like controlar el tiempo?

You can, but the nuance changes slightly:

poner un límite al tiempo
→ set a limit on time (focus on a clear boundary or maximum amount of time)
controlar el tiempo
→ control the time (more about managing or keeping track, possibly without a strict limit)

Alternatives with similar meaning to the original:

reducir el tiempo en redes sociales → reduce time on social media
limitar el tiempo en redes sociales → limit time on social media
establecer un límite de tiempo → establish a time limit

Your original poner un límite al tiempo is idiomatic and natural.

How should I pronounce hay in hay que poner? Is it like English “hey”?

Hay is pronounced roughly like English “eye”:

IPA: /ai/
One syllable: like the English word “I”

It is not pronounced like “hey”, and it’s different from:

ay → same sound /ai/, but used as an interjection (like “ouch” or “oh!”)
ahí → /aˈi/ (two syllables: a-Í), meaning there (location)

So:

hay que poner → “eye keh poh-NEHR” (approximate).