El cristal de mis gafas se rompió anoche, así que usaré mis gafas viejas hoy.

The glass of my glasses broke last night, so I will use my old glasses today.

Breakdown of El cristal de mis gafas se rompió anoche, así que usaré mis gafas viejas hoy.

• la noche: the night
• mi: my
• hoy: today
• usar: to use
• de: of
• así que: so
• el cristal: the glass
• las gafas: the glasses
• romper: to break
• viejo: old

Questions & Answers about El cristal de mis gafas se rompió anoche, así que usaré mis gafas viejas hoy.

Why is cristal used here instead of lente to refer to the glasses’ lens?

In Spain, it’s quite common to refer to the lens of your glasses as cristal, even though technically it might be made of plastic. Lente is also understood, but cristal is just the more colloquial option many people use.

Why does the verb romper appear as se rompió?

The construction se rompió is the pasiva refleja or a pronominal form of the verb romper in Spanish. It shifts the focus onto the action (the lens broke) without specifying who or what caused it to break. It’s similar to saying “it broke” in English instead of “someone broke it.”

Why is anoche used to mean “last night,” rather than something like ayer por la noche?

Anoche directly translates to last night and is the most natural way to say it. Ayer por la noche (“yesterday at night”) can also work, but it sounds a bit more formal. In everyday language, anoche is the standard term.

What is the function of así que in this sentence?

Así que means so or therefore, linking the cause (the lens broke) to the effect (I will use my old glasses). It conveys a sense of logical consequence between the two parts of the sentence.

Why is usaré conjugated in the future tense instead of using something like voy a usar?

Both usaré and voy a usar can convey a future action. The simple future (usaré) can sound a tad more formal or definite, while voy a usar is often more informal or immediate. In this context, usaré is simply another way of stating a firm intention to use the old glasses today.