Firmamos a condición de que revisemos el historial veterinario.

Breakdown of Firmamos a condición de que revisemos el historial veterinario.

revisar
to check
firmar
to sign
el historial veterinario
the veterinary history
a condición de que
provided that (formal)

Questions & Answers about Firmamos a condición de que revisemos el historial veterinario.

Does firmamos mean we sign or we signed here?

It can be either one in isolation, because for -ar verbs the nosotros form of the present and the preterite is spelled the same:

  • firmamos = we sign / we are signing
  • firmamos = we signed

Here, the context makes it clear that it means the present with a future sense: we sign / we’ll sign.

The clue is the rest of the sentence: a condición de que revisemos... refers to a condition that still needs to be met, so this is not talking about a completed past action.

Why is firmamos used instead of firmaremos?

Spanish often uses the present tense to talk about a future action, especially when the action is seen as planned, agreed, or immediate.

So both of these can work:

  • Firmamos a condición de que...
  • Firmaremos a condición de que...

The version with firmamos can sound a bit more direct or immediate, like we’ll sign, provided that...

Why is there no nosotros before firmamos or revisemos?

Because Spanish usually omits subject pronouns when the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

  • firmamos already means we sign / we signed
  • revisemos already means that we review

So nosotros is unnecessary unless you want to add emphasis or contrast:

  • Nosotros firmamos, pero ellos no.

In the original sentence, leaving out nosotros is the most natural choice.

What does a condición de que do in this sentence?

It introduces a condition. It means something like:

It is a fairly formal expression. It connects the main action (firmamos) to the requirement that must be satisfied (que revisemos el historial veterinario).

So the structure is:

Why is it de que and not just que?

Because a condición de que is a fixed expression.

The noun condición is linked with de, and then que introduces the following clause:

  • a condición de que revisemos...

So this is not an optional extra de. It belongs to the phrase.

You should learn a condición de que as one chunk.

Why is revisemos in the subjunctive?

Because a condición de que triggers the subjunctive.

In Spanish, when you talk about a condition, requirement, or something that is not yet a confirmed fact, the verb in the subordinate clause often goes in the subjunctive.

Here, reviewing the veterinary record is not presented as a fact. It is something that must happen first, as a condition for signing. That is why Spanish uses:

  • revisemos
    not
  • revisamos
How is revisemos formed?

It comes from the verb revisar.

For the present subjunctive, you start from the yo form of the present indicative:

  • yo reviso

Then remove the -o and add the subjunctive endings. For -ar verbs, the nosotros ending is -emos:

  • revis-
    • emos = revisemos

So:

  • revisaryo revisorevisemos
Could I say revisamos instead of revisemos?

Normally, no. After a condición de que, standard Spanish uses the subjunctive, so revisemos is the correct form.

  • a condición de que revisemos...
  • a condición de que revisamos...

Using revisamos would sound ungrammatical to most native speakers in this structure.

Why is it el historial veterinario and not la historia veterinaria?

Because historial and historia are not exactly the same.

  • historial usually means a record, file, or history of previous events, especially in administrative or medical contexts.
  • historia often means story or history in a broader sense.

So el historial veterinario means the animal’s veterinary record / medical history. That is the natural phrase here.

Why does veterinario come after historial?

Because in Spanish, descriptive and classifying adjectives usually come after the noun.

So:

  • historial veterinario = veterinary record

Here, veterinario tells you what kind of record it is. This kind of adjective normally follows the noun in Spanish.

Could the sentence use a different structure if the subject is the same in both verbs?

Yes, sometimes Spanish can rephrase this kind of idea, but the original structure is perfectly valid.

Because the subject is we in both parts, a learner may expect an infinitive, but Spanish often keeps the full clause after expressions like a condición de que:

  • Firmamos a condición de que revisemos el historial veterinario.

A possible rewording might be more like:

  • Firmamos con la condición de revisar el historial veterinario.

But that is a different phrasing, not a direct replacement in every context. The original sentence is a standard and correct way to express the idea.

Is a condición de que common in everyday speech?

It is correct and natural, but it sounds a bit formal or careful. In everyday speech, people might sometimes prefer simpler alternatives depending on the context, such as:

  • si
  • siempre que
  • con tal de que

But a condición de que is very useful to know because it is common in formal speech, contracts, negotiations, and precise statements.

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