Después de cenar, devolvemos el libro a la biblioteca y sacamos otro.

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Questions & Answers about Después de cenar, devolvemos el libro a la biblioteca y sacamos otro.

Why is it Después de cenar and not “Después cenar” or “Después de cenando”?

In Spanish, after the preposition después de, you must use the infinitive: después de + infinitivodespués de cenar.

  • Después cenar is wrong because the preposition is required.
  • Después de cenando is wrong because gerunds don’t follow prepositions like this; the gerund would suggest simultaneity (e.g., cenando = “while eating”), not sequence.
Can I say Después de la cena instead of Después de cenar?

Yes. Both are correct:

  • Después de cenar focuses on the action (“after having dinner”) and is very natural for routines.
  • Después de la cena treats dinner as a noun (“after dinner”). Use whichever fits your style; both are common in Spain.
Why is there a comma after Después de cenar?
Spanish typically uses a comma after a fronted introductory phrase or clause, just like English. So Después de cenar, … is standard punctuation.
Why isn’t nosotros written? How would it look if I include it?

Spanish normally drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the subject. Devolvemos and sacamos end in -mos, so it’s clearly “we.” You can add it for emphasis or contrast:

  • Nosotros devolvemos el libro… y sacamos otro. If the speakers are all female, nosotras is the form, but the verb still looks the same: devolvemos, sacamos.
What exactly does the present tense convey here? Could I use the future?

The present here expresses a habitual or scheduled action (“we (usually) do this after dinner”). Spanish often uses the present for near-future plans too when a time reference is present.

  • Future is possible: Después de cenar, devolveremos… but it sounds more formal or predictive. For routines, the present is natural.
Why devolver and not volver or regresar?
  • Devolver = “to return/give back” an object. That’s what you do with a book.
  • Volver/regresar = “to go back/come back” (the subject moves), not the object. In Spain, saying regresar el libro is not standard (though some Latin American regions use transitive regresar).
What does sacamos mean here? Is that “to take out”?

Yes. In a library context, sacar (un libro) means “to check out/borrow.” In Spain, you’ll also hear:

  • coger (un libro) prestado (fine in Spain; be cautious outside Spain where coger can be vulgar)
  • pedir un libro prestado, sacar en préstamo
    All mean you borrow a book from the library.
Why is it a la biblioteca and not en la biblioteca?
  • a la biblioteca marks the destination/recipient (“to the library”), matching the pattern devolver algo a X.
  • en la biblioteca would emphasize location (“return the book at the library”). That’s possible if you want to stress where the action happens, but the default recipient construction is with a. This is not the “personal a”; it’s the preposition of direction/recipient.
Do I need the article in el libro? Could I just say devolvemos libro?

You need the article. Spanish uses articles much more than English.

  • Devolvemos el libro (a specific book already known in context).
  • Devolvemos un libro (some book, non-specific).
    But bare nouns like devolvemos libro are not idiomatic here.
Can I replace el libro with a pronoun?

Yes. Use the direct object pronoun lo (for masculine singular):

  • Después de cenar, lo devolvemos a la biblioteca. If you use an infinitive/gerund or an auxiliary, you can attach it:
  • Vamos a devolverlo a la biblioteca.
  • Estamos devolviéndolo a la biblioteca.
Why is it just otro and not otro libro or un otro?

Spanish often omits the repeated noun when it’s obvious from context: sacamos otro clearly means “we check out another (book).”
Also, you don’t say un otro in standard Spanish; just otro. If you want to emphasize “one more,” you can say otro más.

How does otro agree?

It agrees in gender and number with the implied noun:

  • otro (masc. sing., e.g., libro)
  • otra (fem. sing., e.g., revista)
  • otros/otras for plurals.
Is there a stem change in devolver? Why not devuelvemos?

Yes, devolver is o→ue in the present, but not in the nosotros/vosotros forms:

  • yo devuelvo
  • devuelves
  • él/ella devuelve
  • nosotros devolvemos (no change)
  • vosotros devolvéis (no change)
  • ellos devuelven
    So devolvemos is the only correct nosotros form.
How would I say this in the past?

Use the preterite:

  • Después de cenar, devolvimos el libro a la biblioteca y sacamos otro.
    Note: sacamos (nosotros) is the same in present and preterite; context or adverbs like ayer, anoche clarify the time.
Can I use Después de que… instead of Después de + infinitive?

Yes, especially when the subject changes:

  • Same subject: Después de cenar, devolvemos… (simplest)
  • Different subject: Después de que mis hijos cenen, devolvemos…
    With después de que, use:
  • Subjunctive for future/not-yet-realized: Después de que cenemos, devolveremos…
  • Indicative for past/completed or factual: Después de que cenamos, devolvimos…
    In everyday Spain Spanish, for routines with the same subject, Después de cenar is most natural.
Is biblioteca the same as “librería”?
No. Biblioteca = library. Librería = bookstore (where you buy books). This is a very common false friend.
Any pronunciation or accent tips for these words?
  • después has a written accent on the final syllable: des-PUÉS. Without it (despues) is wrong.
  • v in devolvemos is pronounced like b in Spanish.
  • sacar: c before a = /k/ → sa-KAR.
  • biblioteca stress is on TE: biblio-TÉ-ca.
Can I move parts of the sentence around?

Yes, Spanish word order is flexible when clarity is preserved:

  • Devolvemos el libro a la biblioteca después de cenar y sacamos otro.
  • Después de cenar, a la biblioteca devolvemos el libro y sacamos otro. (marked/emphatic) Default order (Después de cenar, devolvemos el libro a la biblioteca y sacamos otro) is the most neutral.