Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Creo que deberíamos hacer una pausa ahora, aunque falte poco para terminar la lección. - I think we should take a break now, even if there is little left to finish the lesson.

Debemos hacer una pausa = We must take a break (stronger, more like a rule).
Deberíamos hacer una pausa = We should take a break (a suggestion / recommendation).

In the sentence, the speaker is making a polite suggestion, not stating a strict rule, so deberíamos fits better.

What is the difference between hacer una pausa and tomar un descanso?

Both can mean to take a break, but there’s a nuance:

Hacer una pausa literally: to make a pause.
Often used for a short interruption of an activity, like a lesson, a meeting, a video, etc.
- Hagamos una pausa de cinco minutos.
Tomar un descanso literally: to take a rest.
Focuses more on resting or relaxing, not just pausing the activity:
- Voy a tomar un descanso porque estoy cansado.

In many everyday contexts, they overlap and both can be understood as taking a break, but pausa sounds like interrupting the activity; descanso emphasizes resting.

Why is it falte (subjunctive) and not falta (indicative) after aunque?

Aunque can be followed by either indicative or subjunctive, and the choice shows how the speaker sees the information:

Aunque falta poco… (indicative):
The speaker treats “there is little left” as a fact.
Aunque falte poco… (subjunctive):
The speaker presents it more as background, something not being fully affirmed or as less important—often translated like even if there is little left.

In your sentence:

…aunque falte poco para terminar la lección
≈ …even though / even if there isn’t much left to finish the lesson.

The subjunctive with aunque often has this “concession” flavor: even though / even if, rather than a simple although this is a fact.

So, is aunque falta poco also possible? What is the difference in meaning?

Yes, aunque falta poco is also possible and very common.

Aunque falta poco para terminar la lección
→ The speaker is stating as a fact that there’s little left.
Aunque falte poco para terminar la lección
→ The speaker is making a concession (even if / even though there’s not much left), and slightly downplaying that fact. The focus is more on the decision to take a break.

In practice, many native speakers would naturally say aunque falta poco here. Using falte is more about stylistic nuance and the speaker’s attitude, not a strict rule.

What does the expression faltar poco para + infinitive mean exactly?

Faltar poco para + infinitive is a very common structure meaning there’s not much left before [something happens] or [something] is about to [happen].

In your sentence:

falta poco para terminar la lección
≈ there’s little left before we finish the lesson / we’re almost done with the lesson.

Other examples:

Falta poco para llegar.
We’re almost there.
Falta poco para que empiece la película.
The movie is about to start / there’s not much time before it starts.

Note: with a conjugated verb you use para que + subjunctive (para que empiece); with an infinitive you just use para + infinitive (para empezar).

Why is terminar in the infinitive and not conjugated, like terminemos?

After para, you normally use the infinitive when it refers to the action itself, not to a specific subject:

para terminar la lección = to finish the lesson / in order to finish the lesson.

The structure is:

falta poco para + [infinitive]
(falta poco para terminar)

If you want to include an explicit subject with a new clause, you’d say:

Falta poco para que terminemos la lección.
(There’s not much left until we finish the lesson.)

So:

para terminar la lección → infinitive phrase.
para que terminemos la lección → full clause with subjunctive.

Why is it la lección and not nuestra lección like in English “our lesson”?

Spanish frequently uses the definite article (el, la, los, las) where English uses a possessive (my, your, our), especially when the context makes the owner clear.

Here, it’s obvious the speaker is talking about the lesson they’re in, so la lección is natural and normal.

You could say nuestra lección, but:

terminar la lección sounds more neutral and idiomatic.
terminar nuestra lección might sound slightly more emphatic, as if contrasting it with other lessons or underlining that it’s “our” specific lesson.

Why do we say Creo que deberíamos… instead of just Deberíamos…?

Both are grammatically correct; the difference is in tone.

Deberíamos hacer una pausa ahora.
→ A direct suggestion: We should take a break now.
Creo que deberíamos hacer una pausa ahora.
→ Softer and more tentative: I think we should take a break now.

Adding Creo que makes the statement sound less forceful and more like a personal opinion, which is often more polite.

Can I use Pienso que deberíamos… instead of Creo que deberíamos…? Is there any difference?

Yes, you can say:

Pienso que deberíamos hacer una pausa ahora…

Creo que and Pienso que are often interchangeable and both mean roughly I think that.

Subtle nuance:

Creo que literally relates to belief.
Pienso que literally relates to thought.

In everyday Latin American Spanish, Creo que is more common and sounds a bit more neutral; Pienso que is also fine but used less frequently in casual speech by some speakers.

Why is creo que followed by indicative (deberíamos) and not subjunctive?

With a positive main verb like creo que, Spanish normally uses the indicative in the subordinate clause because the speaker believes what they are saying:

Creo que deberíamos hacer una pausa.

If creo que is negated or turned into doubt, then subjunctive is more likely:

No creo que debamos hacer una pausa.
I don’t think we should take a break.
¿Crees que debamos hacer una pausa? (in some varieties; others still use indicative)
Do you think we should take a break?

So: creo que (affirmative) → typically followed by indicative.

Is it correct to say Creo que deberíamos de hacer una pausa?

You will hear many native speakers say:

Creo que deberíamos de hacer una pausa.

However, traditional grammar recommends not using de after deber when it means should / must (obligation):

Recommended: Deberíamos hacer una pausa.

Using de is widespread in everyday speech in some regions, but in careful or formal writing, it’s better to omit de in this meaning of deber.

Can I move ahora to another position, like Creo que ahora deberíamos hacer una pausa? Does it change the meaning?

Yes, you can move ahora:

Creo que deberíamos hacer una pausa ahora.
Creo que ahora deberíamos hacer una pausa.

Both are natural and mean essentially the same: I think we should take a break now.

Slight nuance:

…hacer una pausa ahora.
Mild emphasis on the pause being now.
Creo que ahora deberíamos…
Mild emphasis on now is the moment when we should….

But in everyday conversation, the difference is minimal; both are fine.