Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Mientras tanto, limpiamos el suelo con agua y un poco de jabón. - Meanwhile, we clean the floor with water and a bit of soap.

Mientras tanto translates as “in the meantime” or “meanwhile.” It’s an adverbial phrase used to link two actions that happen simultaneously or to fill the time between two events. In Spanish you can start a sentence with it to set the scene for something happening at the same time as something else.

Why is the verb limpiamos in the simple present tense and not another tense?

Spanish often uses the simple present to describe:
• Actions happening right now (similar to the English “we clean” or “we are cleaning”).
• Habitual or repeated actions (“we clean the floor every week”).
It’s also common in spoken narration to use the simple present rather than the present progressive.

Why didn’t we use the present progressive (estamos limpiando el suelo)?

The simple present (limpiamos) is perfectly natural in Spanish for ongoing actions in narration. The progressive (estamos limpiando) can feel more formal or emphasise that the action is ongoing at this exact moment, but you don’t need it here.

Why is the preposition con used before agua?

Con indicates the instrument or means by which something is done: “we clean the floor with water.” Whenever you describe the tool or substance you use to perform an action, you generally use con.

Why do we say un poco de jabón? Why include un and de?

The expression un poco de means “a little bit of.”
• Un is an indefinite article (“a”).
• De links the quantity (“little bit”) to the substance (“soap”).
Without de, you cannot say un poco jabón—it would be ungrammatical.

Could I say con un poco de agua y jabón instead of con agua y un poco de jabón?

Yes. Both orders are grammatical. Small differences in nuance:
• Con un poco de agua y jabón suggests you’re using small amounts of both.
• Con agua y un poco de jabón highlights you’re mainly using water plus a little soap.

What’s the difference between suelo and piso?

In Spain:
• Suelo = the floor surface (what you walk on).
• Piso = flat/apartment or a floor level in a building.
In much of Latin America, piso also means “floor” (surface), and suelo is less common in everyday speech.

Can I use lavamos instead of limpiamos for the floor?

Yes.
• Lavar el suelo emphasizes washing with water.
• Limpiar el suelo is more general (“clean,” remove dirt).
Both verbs are fine; choice depends on whether you want to stress the act of washing (lavar) or the act of cleaning (limpiar).