Breakdown of Apago el celular para mantener la concentración durante la clase.
yo
I
durante
during
la clase
the class
el celular
the cell phone
apagar
to turn off
mantener
to maintain
la concentración
the concentration
para
to, in order to
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Questions & Answers about Apago el celular para mantener la concentración durante la clase.
Why is apago in the present tense? Does it mean I’m turning off or I turn off?
The simple present (apago) can cover both ideas depending on context:
- Habitual / routine: I turn off my phone to stay focused during class.
- Right now (especially in a classroom situation): I’m turning off my phone to stay focused during class. If you want to make “right now” extra explicit, Spanish might add something like ahora or use context, but apago is already natural.
Why does it say el celular instead of mi celular?
Spanish often uses the + noun where English prefers a possessive (my/your), especially with personal belongings when the owner is obvious.
- Apago el celular = I turn off my phone (owner understood) You can say Apago mi celular, but it can sound more emphatic or contrastive (e.g., “I’m turning off my phone, not yours”).
Is celular the normal word in Latin America? What about móvil or teléfono?
In much of Latin America, celular is the most common everyday word for a mobile phone.
- móvil is more typical in Spain.
- teléfono is universal but can sound less specific (could be any phone). People also say teléfono celular in more formal contexts.
Why is it para mantener and not para mantengo?
After para (meaning in order to), Spanish uses an infinitive if the subject is the same:
- Apago el celular para mantener... (I do both actions) You’d use a conjugated verb with a different structure when there’s a different subject, typically para que + subjunctive:
- Apago el celular para que no me distraiga. (so that it doesn’t distract me)
What does mantener la concentración mean literally? Is this a common phrase?
Literally it’s to maintain the concentration. In natural English you might say to stay focused or to maintain focus. Yes, it’s a common, correct collocation in Spanish:
- mantener la concentración
- also common: mantenerse concentrado/a (to stay focused)
Could I say para mantenerme concentrado instead? What’s the difference?
Yes, and it’s very natural:
- Apago el celular para mantenerme concentrado durante la clase. Difference:
- mantener la concentración focuses on the thing (focus/concentration).
- mantenerme concentrado focuses on you staying focused (more personal/direct). Both work; the second is often closer to everyday English stay focused.
Why is it la concentración with la? Could it be without an article?
Spanish commonly uses a definite article with abstract nouns in general statements:
- mantener la concentración = maintaining (one’s) concentration/focus You might drop the article in some styles, but mantener concentración sounds less natural for most speakers than mantener la concentración.
What’s the role of durante here? Can I use en instead?
durante means during and emphasizes a time span:
- durante la clase = throughout/during class en la clase usually means in class (location/situation), not specifically “during the time of class,” though it can overlap:
- Apago el celular en la clase can sound like “I turn it off in the classroom” or “when I’m in class.” If you want the time meaning clearly, durante is the best choice.
Why does it say la clase instead of clase?
With time expressions like during class, Spanish typically uses the article:
- durante la clase Saying durante clase is generally not standard in this meaning. (There are other contexts where Spanish can drop articles, but not usually here.)
Can I put durante la clase earlier in the sentence?
Yes. Word order is flexible:
- Durante la clase, apago el celular para mantener la concentración.
- Apago el celular durante la clase para mantener la concentración. All are correct; moving durante la clase earlier can emphasize the time context.
How would I say this in the past or future?
Common options:
- Past (completed): Apagué el celular para mantener la concentración durante la clase. (I turned it off)
- Imperfect (habitual in the past): Apagaba el celular... (I used to turn it off)
- Future: Apagaré el celular... (I will turn it off)
- Near future: Voy a apagar el celular... (I’m going to turn it off)
Any pronunciation tips for tricky parts like concentración?
Key points:
- concentración stress falls on the last syllable because of -ción: con-cen-tra-CIÓN
- celular stress is on the last syllable: ce-lu-LAR
- apago stress is natural on the middle syllable: a-PA-go In Latin America, c before i/e is usually pronounced like s: concen-tra-sión.