Word
Si cierras la llave principal, evitarás que la fuga empeore.
Meaning
If you close the main valve, you will prevent the leak from getting worse.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
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Questions & Answers about Si cierras la llave principal, evitarás que la fuga empeore.
Why does the sentence use the present indicative cierras in the “if” clause instead of a future tense?
In Spanish, real or likely conditional sentences (Type I) use present indicative in the “si” clause, even when referring to the future. The result clause is the one that can carry the future tense:
• Si cierras la llave, evitarás el problema.
Why is the main verb evitarás in the simple future, and could we use “vas a evitar” instead?
Spanish has two common ways to talk about the future:
- Simple future (evitarás) – often a bit more formal or expresses certainty.
- Periphrastic future (vas a evitar) – very common in spoken language.
Both are correct, e.g.:
• Si cierras la llave, vas a evitar que la fuga empeore.
Why is it que la fuga empeore (subjunctive) rather than que la fuga empeora (indicative)?
After verbs that express prevention or avoidance (like evitar), the subordinate clause needs the subjunctive because you’re talking about something you want to prevent from happening, not a fact:
• Evitarás que la fuga empeore.
Does llave only mean “key”? How can it mean “valve” here?