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Si empujas la puerta con tanta fuerza, puedes quebrar el vidrio de la ventana.

Si empujas la puerta con tanta fuerza, puedes quebrar el vidrio de la ventana.
If you push the door so hard, you can break the window glass.
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Questions & Answers about Si empujas la puerta con tanta fuerza, puedes quebrar el vidrio de la ventana.

Why does the sentence use si + present tense (Si empujas... puedes...) instead of the future?

In Spanish, real/possible conditions often use si + present indicative in the if clause, even when English might use a future idea.

  • Si empujas la puerta... = If you push the door...
  • ...puedes quebrar el vidrio... = you can/might break the glass... Using a future in the si clause (like si empujarás) is generally not correct for this meaning.
Why is empujas used, and who is doing the action?

Empujas is present tense, tú form of empujar (to push). Spanish often drops the subject pronoun, so (tú) is implied:

  • Si (tú) empujas la puerta...
What’s the difference between si and sí?
  • si (no accent) = if
  • sí (with accent) = yes or himself/herself/itself in some contexts
    Here it must be si because it introduces a condition: Si empujas...
What does con tanta fuerza mean grammatically, and why tanta?

Con = with, and tanta fuerza = so much force.

  • tanta agrees with fuerza, which is feminine singular. Compare:
  • con tanta fuerza (feminine singular: fuerza)
  • con tanto cuidado (masculine singular: cuidado) Also note the difference:
  • tan modifies adjectives/adverbs: tan fuerte (so strong)
  • tanto/a/os/as modifies nouns: tanta fuerza (so much force)
Why does it say puedes quebrar—is that ability or possibility?

Poder + infinitive can express either:

  • ability: you are able to
  • possibility/risk: you might/could
    In this warning-like sentence, puedes quebrar usually means you might end up breaking / you could break (a realistic risk).
Could I also say podrías quebrar? What changes?

Yes. Podrías (conditional) sounds more hypothetical or softer/politer:

  • Si empujas... puedes quebrar... = you can/might break it (quite direct, very possible)
  • Si empujas... podrías quebrar... = you could break it (more tentative)
Why use quebrar instead of romper?

Both can mean to break, but there are nuance and regional preferences:

  • romper is the most general, widely used verb for breaking things.
  • quebrar often suggests cracking/shattering, and it’s common for fragile materials like glass.
    In many parts of Latin America, quebrar el vidrio is natural, though romper el vidrio is also very common.
Why vidrio and not cristal?

Both can translate as glass, but usage differs:

  • vidrio = the material glass (very common in Latin America)
  • cristal can mean glass too, but often suggests crystal/fine glass depending on region and context
    For a windowpane, vidrio is very standard.
What does el vidrio de la ventana literally mean, and why not just la ventana?

Literally it’s the glass of the window (the windowpane). Spanish often specifies the part that breaks:

  • You typically break the glass, not the whole window frame.
    You could say romper la ventana, but that can imply damaging the window as a whole, not specifically the pane.
Why are there articles everywhere: la puerta, el vidrio, la ventana?

Spanish commonly uses definite articles (el/la) where English might use none, especially when referring to specific, known items in context:

  • la puerta = the (specific) door
  • el vidrio = the glass (pane)
  • la ventana = the window
Is the word order flexible? Could con tanta fuerza go somewhere else?

Yes, it’s fairly flexible:

  • Si empujas la puerta con tanta fuerza, puedes quebrar el vidrio... (neutral)
  • Si empujas con tanta fuerza la puerta, puedes quebrar... (also correct; emphasis shifts slightly to the force)
    The original order sounds very natural.
Why is there a comma after fuerza?

The comma separates the conditional clause from the main clause, especially when the si clause comes first:

  • Si empujas..., puedes...
    If you reverse the order, the comma is often optional depending on style:
  • Puedes quebrar el vidrio... si empujas la puerta con tanta fuerza.
How would I pronounce tricky parts like empujas and quebrar?

A practical guide (Latin American Spanish):

  • empujas: em-POO-has (the j is a strong h sound)
  • fuerza: FWER-sa
  • quebrar: keh-BRAR (the qu sounds like k, and rr is a trilled/strong r)