Breakdown of No dejes la casa en desorden, intenta mantenerla ordenada.
la casa
the house
la
the
en
in
;
semicolon
intentar
to try
dejar
to leave
el desorden
the mess
mantener
to keep
ordenado
tidy
Questions & Answers about No dejes la casa en desorden, intenta mantenerla ordenada.
Why is it "No dejes la casa en desorden" and not "No dejas la casa en desorden"?
In Spanish, the negative imperative for tú uses the present subjunctive form. That’s why we say no dejes (subjunctive) instead of no dejas (indicative). When giving a negative command in the second-person singular (tú), you switch to the subjunctive (dejes, comas, vivas, etc.).
Why do we say "en desorden" instead of something like "desordenada"?
En desorden uses the noun desorden (meaning "disorder" or "mess"), implying the state in which the house is left. If you said desordenada, you’d be using the adjective "disordered/messy." The phrase en desorden is more like "in a state of mess," focusing on the condition the house is left in.
What is the function of "la" in "intenta mantenerla ordenada"?
The pronoun la directly refers back to la casa. It’s a direct object pronoun, so "mantenerla" means "to keep it (the house)..." rather than repeating "mantener la casa."
Why is "intenta" used instead of "intente" or "intentas"?
Intenta here is the affirmative imperative form for tú. In Spanish, the tú imperative typically drops the final -s from the present indicative form (for instance: tú cantas → canta, tú intentas → intenta). Intente would be the formal (usted) imperative or present subjunctive, and intentas is just the indicative present tense (you try), not a command.
Is there a reason "ordenada" is in the feminine form?
Yes, because it agrees with la casa, which is a feminine noun. Spanish adjectives must match the gender (and number) of the noun they describe, so ordenada is feminine singular to match la casa.
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