Cuando hace mucho calor, enciendo el ventilador y abro la ventana.

When it is very hot, I turn on the fan and open the window.

Breakdown of Cuando hace mucho calor, enciendo el ventilador y abro la ventana.

• yo: I
• cuando: when
• y: and
• abrir: to open
• la ventana: the window
• el ventilador: the fan
• calor: hot
• encender: to turn on

Questions & Answers about Cuando hace mucho calor, enciendo el ventilador y abro la ventana.

Why does the sentence use "hace mucho calor" instead of "es mucho calor"?

In Spanish, hacer is commonly used in weather expressions instead of ser. For example, you say hace calor, hace frío, hace sol, etc. It literally means something like "it makes/it is hot," but it's just the standard way to talk about the weather. Using ser (es calor) would sound unnatural.

Why do we say "cuando" without an accent here?

Cuando without an accent is the conjunction meaning "when." Cuándo with an accent mark is used in direct or indirect questions, such as ¿Cuándo llegas? ("When are you arriving?"). Since the sentence here is not a question but a statement, cuando goes without the accent.

Why is it "abro la ventana" with "la" instead of saying "mi ventana" or "una ventana"?

In Spanish, using la ventana is very common to refer to the window in your immediate context, such as in your home. It's understood which specific window you're talking about. If you need to emphasize that it's your own window, you can say mi ventana, but it's not usually necessary.

Is there a difference between "enciendo el ventilador" and other verbs like "pongo" or "prendo"?

Yes. Encender literally means "to switch on" or "to turn on," especially for devices or lights. You might hear poner (to put on) or prender (to switch on) in other regions or informal contexts, but in much of Spain, encender is the most standard verb for turning on an appliance like a fan.