Breakdown of Ese videojuego es mi pasatiempo favorito cuando estoy solo en casa.
Questions & Answers about Ese videojuego es mi pasatiempo favorito cuando estoy solo en casa.
Spanish has three common demonstratives that all translate as “this/that” in English, but they indicate different distances:
- este videojuego = this videogame (physically or mentally close to the speaker)
- ese videojuego = that videogame (a bit farther away, or not right next to the speaker; also often used for something just mentioned in conversation)
- aquel videojuego = that videogame over there (far from both speaker and listener, or more distant in time / memory)
In many real conversations, ese is very common for “that” in a general sense, especially in Latin America.
So the choice of ese suggests either:
- the game is not right next to the speaker, or
- the speaker is just talking about it as “that game” previously mentioned, without needing to show physical closeness.
You could say este videojuego if you’re holding the game or it’s right in front of you, and aquel videojuego if you’re talking about a game from long ago or far away, but ese is perfectly natural here.
In Spanish, many compound nouns are written as a single word when they function as a unified concept. Videojuego (videogame) is one of these.
- video = video
- juego = game
- videojuego = videogame (a specific type of game that uses electronic images)
Writing video juego as two words would sound wrong; it would suggest something like “video game” as “video” + “(separate) game,” instead of the standard compound noun.
So:
✔ Ese videojuego = correct, natural
✘ Ese video juego = incorrect spelling
This is the classic ser vs. estar issue.
- ser is used for essential, more permanent characteristics or identities.
- estar is used for temporary states, locations, conditions, emotions, etc.
Pasatiempo favorito (favorite pastime) is being presented as a relatively stable characteristic: it is your favorite pastime, not just at this moment but generally. So you use ser:
- Ese videojuego es mi pasatiempo favorito.
“That videogame is my favorite pastime.”
Using está here (Ese videojuego está mi pasatiempo favorito) is ungrammatical in Spanish. Estar doesn’t work as the linking verb in this kind of “X = Y” identity sentence.
Spanish does have the word hobby, borrowed from English, but:
- In many Latin American contexts, pasatiempo is more neutral and more widely used.
- hobby can sound a bit more informal, more “Spanglish,” or marked as trendy/foreign, depending on region and speaker.
You could say:
- Ese videojuego es mi pasatiempo favorito. (very standard)
- Ese videojuego es mi hobby favorito. (understood, but more anglicized)
You’ll also hear afición or entretenimiento, but they’re not exact replacements:
- afición = “interest” or “enthusiasm for something” (more like a passion)
- entretenimiento = “entertainment” in general
So pasatiempo is the most straightforward match for “pastime/hobby” here.
In Spanish, most descriptive adjectives normally go after the noun:
- pasatiempo favorito = favorite pastime
(literally: pastime favorite)
So the natural order is:
- mi pasatiempo favorito
(my pastime favorite)
Saying mi favorito pasatiempo sounds unnatural and ungrammatical. While some adjectives can go before the noun (e.g., mi mejor amigo, mi gran idea), favorito almost always comes after the noun in this type of phrase.
A correct pattern to remember:
- mi libro favorito (my favorite book)
- mi comida favorita (my favorite food)
- mi juego favorito (my favorite game)
Again, this is ser vs. estar:
- ser solo would mean something like “to be a solitary person by nature” (almost never expressed this way; you’d say ser solitario instead).
- estar solo refers to being alone at a particular moment or situation.
In cuando estoy solo en casa, you mean “when I am alone at home (at that time),” which is a temporary situation, so you use estar:
- Estoy solo en casa. = I am alone at home (right now / at those times).
Using soy solo en casa doesn’t work in Spanish; it sounds wrong and confusing.
Adjectives in Spanish must agree in gender and number with the noun (or pronoun) they describe.
Here, solo refers to the implied subject yo (I):
- If the speaker is male:
(Yo) estoy solo en casa. - If the speaker is female:
(Yo) estoy sola en casa.
The sentence you were given uses solo, which matches a male speaker. If you want it to refer to a female speaker, you must change it to sola:
- Ese videojuego es mi pasatiempo favorito cuando estoy sola en casa.
(said by a woman)
Historically:
- sólo (with accent) = only (adverb, like “solamente”)
- solo/sola (without accent) = alone (adjective)
However, modern RAE (the main Spanish language authority) recommends not using the accent on sólo in normal writing. Context is usually clear:
- Estoy solo en casa. = I’m alone at home.
- Sólo juego ese videojuego. (traditional)
Solo juego ese videojuego. (modern recommended spelling)
= I only play that videogame.
In your sentence, solo clearly means “alone”, so it never needs an accent:
- cuando estoy solo en casa (= when I’m alone at home)
All of these are grammatically correct, but they differ in nuance:
en casa
- Very common idiomatic expression = “at home.”
You usually don’t need la or mi when you just mean “at home” in general.
Estoy en casa. = I’m at home.
en mi casa
Emphasizes that it’s my house, as opposed to someone else’s.
Estoy en mi casa. = I’m at my house.
en la casa
- Literally “in the house.” Could be any house previously mentioned, not necessarily yours.
- More physical/locative and less like the idiomatic “at home.”
In most contexts like your sentence, en casa is the most natural way to say “at home”:
- cuando estoy solo en casa = when I’m alone at home.
You can move solo, but the most natural and common order is:
- cuando estoy solo en casa
You might also hear:
- cuando estoy en casa solo
This is not wrong, but:
- cuando estoy solo en casa flows more naturally and is more standard.
- Putting solo right after the verb estoy clearly links it to the subject (I am alone).
So while both are understandable, learners should stick to:
- cuando estoy solo/sola en casa.
Yes. You can place the cuando-clause (when-clause) either at the beginning or the end:
- Ese videojuego es mi pasatiempo favorito cuando estoy solo en casa.
- Cuando estoy solo en casa, ese videojuego es mi pasatiempo favorito.
Both are correct.
Note: when the cuando clause comes first, it’s very common to place a comma after it:
- Cuando estoy solo en casa, ese videojuego es mi pasatiempo favorito.
Spanish uses different prepositions than English in many set expressions.
- To say “at home,” Spanish uses en casa, not a casa.
- en = in / at
- a = to (direction)
Compare:
- Voy a casa. = I’m going home. (movement to home)
- Estoy en casa. = I’m at home. (location at home)
In your sentence, you’re describing being located at home, not going there; so:
- cuando estoy solo en casa = when I’m alone at home
✘ cuando estoy solo a casa = incorrect
Yes, and in fact, it’s normal to omit yo in Spanish when the verb form already makes the subject clear.
- (Yo) estoy solo en casa.
Because estoy is only used with yo, you don’t need to say yo unless you want to emphasize it:
- Yo estoy solo en casa, no tú.
(I’m the one who is home alone, not you.)
In your sentence, leaving out yo is natural:
- Ese videojuego es mi pasatiempo favorito cuando estoy solo en casa.