El ascensor está averiado; aún así, subir las escaleras aporta buen ejercicio.

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Breakdown of El ascensor está averiado; aún así, subir las escaleras aporta buen ejercicio.

• estar: to be
• ;: semicolon
• subir: to climb

Questions & Answers about El ascensor está averiado; aún así, subir las escaleras aporta buen ejercicio.

What does averiado mean, and how is it different from roto or descompuesto?

Averiado means “out of order” or “broken down,” typically referring to machines or equipment that aren’t working properly. Descompuesto is a near-synonym (a bit more formal), while roto literally means “broken” in the sense of physically shattered or snapped—so you’d use roto for a mirror or a plate, but averiado or descompuesto for an elevator or a car.

Why is there a semicolon before aún así, and could I use a comma or a period instead?

A semicolon (;) links two independent clauses that are closely related. Here, aún así (“even so” or “nevertheless”) introduces the second clause. You could replace the semicolon with a period (El ascensor está averiado. Aún así…) or, less formally, use a comma (…, aún así…), but a comma alone before aún así risks a comma splice. The semicolon is the grammatically precise choice.

What does aún así mean, and can I replace it with sin embargo?

Aún así means “even so” or “nevertheless,” highlighting that despite one fact (the elevator being broken), another action still happens. You can replace it with sin embargo (“however”):
El ascensor está averiado; sin embargo, subir las escaleras aporta buen ejercicio.

Why does have an accent here, and how is it different from without the accent?