Breakdown of Guardamos el cargador portátil y las pilas de repuesto.
Questions & Answers about Guardamos el cargador portátil y las pilas de repuesto.
What does guardamos mean here, and what verb does it come from?
Guardamos comes from the verb guardar, which often means to keep, to store, to put away, or to save, depending on context.
In this sentence, it most naturally means something like we put away or we stored.
Some common uses of guardar:
- guardar ropa = to put away clothes
- guardar algo en una caja = to store something in a box
- guardar silencio = to keep quiet
Why is there no word for we in the sentence?
Spanish often leaves out subject pronouns when they are not needed. The ending of the verb already shows who is doing the action.
- guardamos = we keep / we put away / we stored
So:
- Guardamos el cargador... = We put away the charger...
- Nosotros guardamos el cargador... = also possible, but nosotros is usually only added for emphasis or contrast.
Can guardamos mean both we put away and we put away / stored in the past?
Yes. Guardamos is one of those forms that can be:
- present tense: we keep / we put away
- preterite: we put away / we stored
So the exact time can depend on context.
Why is it el cargador portátil and not portable cargador?
In Spanish, adjectives usually come after the noun.
So:
- el cargador portátil = the portable charger
This is the normal word order:
- una batería externa
- una funda negra
- un teléfono nuevo
Sometimes adjectives can go before the noun, but that usually changes the tone or meaning. With portátil, the normal position here is after the noun.
What exactly does cargador portátil mean?
Why does the sentence use pilas and not baterías?
In Spain, pila and batería are not always used in the same way as battery in English.
A useful general guide:
- pilas = small removable batteries, like AA or AAA batteries
- batería = rechargeable battery pack, phone battery, car battery, drum kit, etc.
So:
In this sentence, pilas suggests ordinary replaceable batteries.
What does de repuesto mean, and why isn’t it plural?
De repuesto means spare, replacement, or extra to use when needed.
So:
- pilas de repuesto = spare batteries
- rueda de repuesto = spare tyre
- piezas de repuesto = spare parts
It does not change to match number in the way a normal adjective often would. It is a fixed phrase:
- pila de repuesto
- pilas de repuesto
So even though pilas is plural, de repuesto stays the same.
Why do we have el before cargador and las before pilas?
Spanish usually uses definite articles more often than English does.
Here:
- el cargador portátil = the portable charger
- las pilas de repuesto = the spare batteries
The articles agree with the nouns:
Even if English might sometimes say something more generally, Spanish often still prefers the article.
Why is it las pilas? Is pila feminine?
Does portátil change for masculine and feminine?
Why is there no a before las pilas?
Because las pilas de repuesto is the direct object, and it refers to things, not people.
Spanish uses the personal a mainly before specific human direct objects.
Compare:
- Guardamos las pilas. = We put away the batteries.
→ no a - Vemos a María. = We see María.
→ a because María is a person
So here, no a is needed.
Could the word order be changed?
Yes, but the given order is the most natural neutral one.
Normal order:
You could change the order for emphasis, for example:
- Las pilas de repuesto y el cargador portátil los guardamos aquí.
But for a simple statement, the original version sounds most natural.
Is guardar more like to save or to put away here?
Here it is more like to put away or to store.
The verb guardar can sometimes be translated as to save, but that depends on context. For example:
- Guardar dinero = to save money
- Guardar un archivo = to save a file
- Guardar los juguetes = to put away the toys
In this sentence, because we are talking about physical objects like a charger and batteries, put away or store is the best fit.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning SpanishMaster Spanish — from Guardamos el cargador portátil y las pilas de repuesto to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions