Breakdown of Avisa a mi hermano si la reunión cambia a última hora.
mi
my
a
to
el hermano
the brother
la reunión
the meeting
.
period
cambiar
to change
si
if
a última hora
at the last minute
avisar
to notify
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Spanish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Avisa a mi hermano si la reunión cambia a última hora.
What verb form is Avisa?
It’s the affirmative imperative for tú (informal singular): a direct command meaning “Tell/Let [someone] know.” Other imperative forms:
- usted (formal): Avise
- vosotros (Spain): Avisad
- ustedes (plural): Avisen Negative commands: No avises, No avise, No aviséis, No avisen
Why is there an a before mi hermano?
Spanish marks the person who receives the warning/notification with a after avisar: avisar a alguien (de algo). Here a mi hermano is the person being notified (an indirect object-like role). This is required; you can’t say Avisa mi hermano without the a.
Can I replace a mi hermano with a pronoun?
Yes: use le for the person. With an affirmative command, it attaches to the verb: Avísale. You can keep both (common and natural): Avísale a mi hermano. Don’t write Avisa le (the pronoun must attach: avísale) in affirmative commands.
Where do pronouns go with commands and negatives?
- Affirmative command: attach after the verb: Avísale a mi hermano…
- Negative command: place before the verb: No le avises a mi hermano… This placement rule is general for object pronouns in Spanish.
Is it Avísale or Avísalo?
Use Avísale (to him/her). With avisar, the person you notify is expressed with le (indirect object), and the thing you notify them about (if expressed) is the direct object: Avísale del cambio or Avísale de que ha cambiado. Using lo for the person here (avísalo) is incorrect in standard usage.
Why is it si la reunión cambia, not future si la reunión cambiará?
In Spanish, future conditions introduced by si take the present indicative, not the future: Si la reunión cambia… (If the meeting changes…). The future cambiará after si sounds wrong.
Should it be subjunctive (cambie) after si?
Not in a real/likely condition. Use present indicative: si cambia. The subjunctive appears in contrary-to-fact or unlikely conditions: Si la reunión cambiara/cambiase a última hora, te pediría que avisaras a mi hermano. That pattern pairs the imperfect subjunctive with a conditional in the main clause, not with an imperative.
What exactly does a última hora mean? Are there alternatives?
It means “at the last minute.” Common alternatives: en el último momento and a última hora (very idiomatic in Spain). Don’t confuse with de última hora, which often means “breaking” (as in news).
Could I say en el último minuto?
People will understand it, but in Spain a última hora or en el último momento is more idiomatic in everyday speech than en el último minuto.
Why la reunión and not el reunión?
Because reunión is a feminine noun in Spanish, so it takes la. Example: la reunión, esta reunión, una reunión.
Why does reunión have an accent?
The accent marks the stress on the last syllable: reu-nión. Without it, the default stress would fall earlier (since the word ends in n). So reunión needs the written accent to indicate the correct stress pattern.
Can I change the word order?
Yes. Starting with the si-clause is very natural and requires a comma: Si la reunión cambia a última hora, avisa a mi hermano. When the si-clause comes second, no comma is needed: Avisa a mi hermano si la reunión cambia a última hora.
Is la reunión cambia natural, or should it be se cambia?
Both are possible but mean slightly different things.
- La reunión cambia treats the meeting as changing (intransitive), which is fine in many contexts.
- Se cambia la reunión is an impersonal/passive-like form meaning “The meeting is (being) changed,” focusing on the action done by people. Your sentence uses the intransitive reading and sounds natural.
What’s the difference between reunión and cita?
- reunión: a meeting, usually involving a group for work or discussion.
- cita: an appointment with a specific person (doctor, hairdresser) or a date. For a work meeting, reunión is the right word.
How do I make this more or less formal/polite in Spain?
- Neutral/informal: Avisa a mi hermano si…
- Politer: Por favor, avisa a mi hermano si… / ¿Puedes/Podrías avisar a mi hermano si…?
- Formal (usted): Avise a mi hermano si… / ¿Podría avisar a mi hermano si…?
What are the Spain-specific plural forms?
Spain distinguishes vosotros:
- Vosotros command: Avisad a mi hermano si…; with pronoun: Avisadle a mi hermano si…
- Ustedes (also used in Spain, formal/plural): Avísen(le) a mi hermano si… (more common without the parentheses: Avísenle…)