No tienes que preguntar cómo funciona el ventilador.

You don’t have to ask how the fan works.

Breakdown of No tienes que preguntar cómo funciona el ventilador.

• el: the
• el ventilador: the fan
• tener que: to have to
• funcionar: to work
• cómo: how
• no tener: not to have
• preguntar: to ask

Questions & Answers about No tienes que preguntar cómo funciona el ventilador.

Why does the sentence use "No tienes que" rather than simply "No necesitas"?

No tienes que literally translates to you do not have to, emphasizing the lack of obligation to do something. No necesitas, although also meaning you don’t need, can convey a slightly different sense of necessity rather than obligation or requirement. Both can be correct in some contexts, but No tienes que is more common for saying you’re not obliged or it’s not necessary to do something.

Why is "preguntar" used instead of "pedir"?

Preguntar means to ask in the sense of seeking information or clarification (for instance, asking a question). Pedir is generally used to mean to request or to ask for something (for example, asking for a favor or an object). In this sentence, you’re asking about how something works, so preguntar fits better.

Could I say "cómo opera el ventilador" instead of "cómo funciona el ventilador"?

You could technically say opera, but it's not the usual verb in Spanish for describing how a device works. Funciona conveys the idea to function or to operate effectively. Saying cómo funciona is the standard way of talking about how a machine or appliance works.

What does "ventilador" refer to, and is it commonly used?

Ventilador refers to a fan, the device used to circulate air in a room. It’s the typical word used throughout Spain for this appliance, so it is indeed very common. You might also hear ventilador in Latin American countries; it’s widely understood across the Spanish-speaking world.