Breakdown of Rompe una tarjeta de crédito vieja para no volver a usarla.
Questions & Answers about Rompe una tarjeta de crédito vieja para no volver a usarla.
Rompe is the affirmative command form for tú (informal “you”) of the verb romper (to break).
- romper = the infinitive, “to break”
- rompes = “you break” (present tense, indicative)
- rompe (here) = “break!” (command to tú)
So rompe una tarjeta… = “(You) break an old credit card…”, giving an instruction.
It’s an informal instruction to “you” (tú), even though tú is not written.
Spanish normally omits subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the subject:
- rompe as a command is used with tú in standard Latin American Spanish.
- The formal usted command would be rompa: Rompa una tarjeta de crédito vieja…
Since we see rompe, we understand: “(Tú) break an old credit card…”
Formal singular (usted):
- Rompa una tarjeta de crédito vieja para no volver a usarla.
- “Break an old credit card so you don’t use it again.”
Plural (ustedes), to several people:
- Rompan una tarjeta de crédito vieja para no volver a usarla.
- “Break an old credit card so you (all) don’t use it again.”
The rest of the sentence stays the same; only the verb romper changes form.
Most adjectives in Spanish normally come after the noun, so:
- tarjeta vieja = literally “card old” → “old card”
Putting vieja after the noun is the regular, neutral way to say that the card is old in age or use.
Placing adjectives before the noun (vieja tarjeta) can add a more emotional or stylistic nuance, and not all adjectives can move freely. With viejo/vieja:
- una vieja tarjeta de crédito could sound a bit more literary or could emphasize it as something from long ago / long‑standing, rather than just physically old.
- una tarjeta de crédito vieja is the most straightforward, everyday word order.
By default, tarjeta de crédito vieja means “old credit card” in the sense of worn out / not new.
With viejo/vieja, position affects meaning:
- una vieja amiga = an old friend (friend you’ve had for a long time)
- una amiga vieja = a friend who is old in age
With tarjeta de crédito vieja, we usually understand “an old (used, no longer current) credit card,” but context decides whether it’s just old / expired or specifically “former.” In everyday speech, people often use it simply to mean “no longer in use / expired / not current.”
Tarjeta is a feminine noun (la tarjeta). In Spanish, adjectives and pronouns must agree in gender and number with the noun:
- una tarjeta → feminine singular article
- vieja → feminine singular adjective agreeing with tarjeta
- usarla → la is the direct object pronoun for a feminine singular thing, referring back to la tarjeta (de crédito).
If the noun were masculine, those forms would change (e.g. un papel viejo, usarlo).
Literally:
- para = in order to / so as to
- no = not
- volver a
- infinitive = to do something again
- usarla = to use it
So para no volver a usarla = “so as not to use it again.”
The structure volver a + infinitive is very common:
- volver a llamar = to call again
- volver a intentarlo = to try it again
Here it emphasizes repetition (not using the card again in the future).
With an infinitive (like usar), object pronouns in Spanish can:
- Attach to the end: usarla (use + it)
- Or go before the conjugated verb: para no volver a usarla / para no volverla a usar
In this sentence, usarla attaches the pronoun la directly to the infinitive usar, which is very common and sounds natural.
Both are correct:
- para no volver a usarla
- para no volverla a usar
Attaching it to the infinitive is often slightly smoother and more common in writing.
Because it refers to la tarjeta (de crédito), which is feminine.
Direct object pronouns in the singular:
- lo → masculine (or sometimes neutral “it”)
- la → feminine “it”
Since tarjeta is feminine (la tarjeta), we must use la:
- usar la tarjeta → usarla
- usar el teléfono → usarlo
Yes, you can. Both are correct and natural:
- para no volver a usarla
- para no usarla de nuevo
Both mean “in order not to use it again.”
Nuance (very slight and context‑dependent):
- volver a usarla highlights the idea of repeating the action.
- usarla de nuevo also means “use it again,” just phrased differently.
Most of the time they are interchangeable.
Yes:
- Rompe una tarjeta de crédito vieja para que no la vuelvas a usar.
Differences:
- para no volver a usarla = same subject in both actions (“you break it in order not to use it again”), so Spanish uses para + infinitive.
- para que no la vuelvas a usar introduces a subordinate clause with para que
- subjunctive (vuelvas). It also implies the same subject here, but grammatically it’s a separate clause.
Meaning in context is basically the same, but:
- para no volver a usarla feels a bit more direct and neutral.
- para que no la vuelvas a usar can sound slightly more emphatic or explanatory.
Both are correct.
Para often expresses purpose or goal (“in order to”), which is exactly the idea here:
- Rompe… para no volver a usarla.
→ “Break it so as not to use it again.”
Por is used for reasons, causes, exchange, duration, etc., but not for purpose in this sense.
So por would be wrong here; para is the correct preposition for “in order to not use it again.”
Yes, grammatically it’s fine:
- Rompe una tarjeta de crédito para no volver a usarla.
However, vieja adds useful context: it tells you we’re talking about an old / no-longer-needed card, not a current one. Without vieja, it sounds more like “Take a (any) credit card and break it,” which is less specific.
Yes. In everyday Spanish, romper is commonly used in this context to cover:
- literally snapping, bending, or
- cutting a credit card into pieces.
People may also say:
- cortar una tarjeta de crédito (to cut it)
- destruir una tarjeta de crédito (to destroy it)
But romper una tarjeta de crédito is very natural and widely understood as “destroy it so it can’t be used.”