Cuando el ascensor está lleno, mi vecino y yo subimos a pie.

When the elevator is full, my neighbor and I go up on foot.

Breakdown of Cuando el ascensor está lleno, mi vecino y yo subimos a pie.

• yo: I
• mi: my
• estar: to be
• cuando: when

Questions & Answers about Cuando el ascensor está lleno, mi vecino y yo subimos a pie.

Why use cuando instead of si?

Cuando introduces a time clause (“when the elevator is full”), signaling a habitual or recurring situation. Si means “if” and suggests a hypothetical or conditional event. Here we talk about what always happens whenever the elevator is full, not a possible future outcome.

Why is ascensor masculine?

In Spanish, most nouns ending in -or are masculine. You say el ascensor just like el profesor or el calor. The article el agrees with the noun’s gender.

Why use está instead of es?

Estar is used for temporary states or conditions. A full elevator is a condition that can change (it can become empty again). Ser would imply a permanent characteristic, which doesn’t fit here.

Why is there a comma after the cuando clause?

When a subordinate clause (here, the temporal clause starting with cuando) comes before the main clause, Spanish grammar requires a comma:
• Subordinate clause: Cuando el ascensor está lleno,
• Main clause: mi vecino y yo subimos a pie.